There are treatments, including medications and talk therapy. Even light (a box that emits bright light that you sit in front of for 30 minutes daily) and ion (a smaller box that removes positive ions from the air) therapy have been helpful in boosting feel-good brain chemicals for seasonal depression that happens during the winter months. But there is no perfect fix, so the push is always on to find a better approach.

That’s the motivation behind a new 3-year Canadian study, which Sunnybrook plays an important role in. Will light and ion therapy, when combined with medication, actually help people suffering from major depression? It’s an interesting concept, that if found to work, could have major public health implications. In the province of Ontario alone, one quarter of people will face major depression in their lifetime.

Study recruiters at Sunnybrook are currently looking for participants. You must be between 18 and 60 year of age and experiencing major depression. That means you have been feeling sad or down, having lost interest or motivation in your usual activities for 2 weeks or more. This might also be accompanied by a loss of appetite, and trouble sleeping or concentrating. For more information on the study, call 416-480-4444.

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