TOW #12 - Can light therapy treat non-seasonal depression too?

In places all over the world, the winter months are cold, dark, and pretty darn depressing.  For a select few, these months are more than just a nuisance.  They are a trigger for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that is related to changes in the seasons.  A typical way of treating SAD is with light therapy, in order to simulate some of the same conditions of the lighter months.  A recent study has found that light therapy can be useful in treating all kinds of depression, no longer just SAD.  In the essay, Can Light Therapy Treat Non-Seasonal Depression too?, the author works to enlighten her audience about a recent advancement that has been made using a familiar treatment tool.  As would probably be obvious from a more scientific article, the author, Carina Storrs, relies mainly on her use of statistics and quotes to back up the points she makes.  In a study done to test the effects of a light box, it was found that "among the 32 patients who did light therapy alone and the 29 who had a combination of light therapy and Prozac, 44% and 59% experienced remission after eight weeks, meaning that their depression symptoms all but went away."  By supporting her idea with facts straight from a study, Storrs is able to cement her point for the audience.  Many times throughout the article, Storrs uses quotes from professors who study all types of depression, as well as the leaders of the study she sites.  In doing this, Storrs becomes more trustworthy, and her information is backed up with fact.  Another interesting strategy Storr uses is having a short compilation of photos from all over the world.  The photos show all of the various ways that people have been utilizing light therapy, aside from treating SAD.  Therefore, the idea that light therapy can be a useful tool for a variety of reasons is implanted in the reader's head from the minute they begin to read the article.  Overall, Storrs was very effective in relating her information concerning the treatment of depression, not just SAD, using light therapy.  Her article had a highly positive tone and forced the reader to become optimistic about the advancements being made in the treatment of depression.