{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T00:06:50Z","timestamp":1785283610207,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,5]],"date-time":"2025-03-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1741132800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Neuroscience Scientific Research Collective"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Phototherapy, which has traditionally been used for seasonal affective disorder, is now being investigated for its effectiveness in treating non-seasonal depression. This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of phototherapy in this new context, providing a comprehensive overview of its therapeutic potential and limitations. Methods: The review followed PRISMA guidelines and included studies from databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and UpToDate. Studies were selected based on their focus on phototherapy\u2019s efficacy, safety, and application methods for non-seasonal depression. Various administration methods were examined, particularly the effects of multiple daily sessions and personalized treatment plans. Results: The findings indicate that while phototherapy alone has limited effectiveness, combining it with antidepressants significantly improves outcomes. The most effective protocols featured multiple daily sessions tailored to individual patient needs, even at lower light intensities. Safety assessments have shown that phototherapy is well tolerated, with no serious side effects reported, only minor and transient reactions. Conclusions: Phototherapy appears to be a promising adjunct therapy for non-seasonal depression, offering safety and flexibility in treatment customization. It provides consistent therapeutic benefits, mainly when used in conjunction with conventional antidepressant treatments.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14051756","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,5]],"date-time":"2025-03-05T09:37:52Z","timestamp":1741167472000},"page":"1756","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["The Use of Phototherapy for the Treatment of Non-Seasonal Depression: A Systematic Review of Efficacy and Safety"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Andrei","family":"Lomnasan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cDr. Gheorghe Preda\u201d Clinical Psychiatry Hospital of Sibiu, 550082 Sibiu, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6264-064X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bogdan Ioan","family":"Vintil\u0103","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of 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Sibiu, Romania"},{"name":"Neuroscience Scientific Research Collective, 550082 Sibiu, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andreea Maria","family":"Grama","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cDr. Gheorghe Preda\u201d Clinical Psychiatry Hospital of Sibiu, 550082 Sibiu, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Monica","family":"Cornea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cDr. Gheorghe Preda\u201d Clinical Psychiatry Hospital of Sibiu, 550082 Sibiu, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6646-1585","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adrian","family":"Boicean","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550169 Sibiu, Romania"},{"name":"County Clinical Emergency Hospital of Sibiu, 550245 Sibiu, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-9111-6088","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristian","family":"Ichim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550169 Sibiu, Romania"},{"name":"County Clinical Emergency Hospital of Sibiu, 550245 Sibiu, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lucian Constantin","family":"Paziuc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Campulung Moldovenesc Psychiatric Hospital, Trandafirilor Street 2, 725100 C\u00e2mpulung Moldovenesc, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2492-4529","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mihnea Costin","family":"Manea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cProf. Dr. Alexandru Obregia\u201d Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Eroii Sanitari Bvd, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrian","family":"T\u00eeb\u00eern\u0103","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cProf. Dr. Alexandru Obregia\u201d Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Eroii Sanitari Bvd, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0029-7591","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ciprian-Ionu\u021b","family":"B\u0103cil\u0103","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cDr. Gheorghe Preda\u201d Clinical Psychiatry Hospital of Sibiu, 550082 Sibiu, Romania"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550169 Sibiu, Romania"},{"name":"Neuroscience Scientific Research Collective, 550082 Sibiu, 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