White light ranked highest in a seasonal depression review
Across trials in seasonal affective disorder, white light ranked above other light colors. The abstract gives no effect sizes, leaving the size and certainty of those differences unclear.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
For patients with seasonal affective disorder, the review ranked white light highest for improving seasonal mood disturbance or depressive symptoms. Usual care was reported to outperform green light for seasonal mood disturbance. These rankings do not reveal how large the differences were, and the authors specifically call for more evidence comparing green and blue light.
The abstract provides no effect estimates, confidence intervals, treatment schedules or follow-up durations. It also does not show which comparisons came directly from trials and which depended on indirect evidence.
What a network comparison means
A network meta-analysis combines direct comparisons within trials with indirect comparisons across trials. This can produce a treatment ranking, but a ranking alone does not show the size of improvement or the uncertainty around each difference.
The comparisons remain incomplete
The review included different light colors, with more studies addressing white light than green light. The authors identify green versus blue light as needing further study. The reported ranking should therefore be read alongside that unresolved comparison.
The original publication
Effectiveness of visible light for seasonal affective disorder: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Wan Y, Ding J, Fan M et al.
Medicine (Baltimore) · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40629637
- Record checked
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