Toronto Public Library is shining a light on the so-called winter blues by introducing light therapy lamps at two branches as part of a pilot project launched this week.
The lamps, available at the Malvern and Brentwood libraries, mimic natural sunlight to help treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that surfaces in the winter. Each location has two lamps, but based on the feedback from users, the service could be rolled out to other branches next year.
“Other libraries have tried this before, in Edmonton and Winnipeg, and there was really a positive impact in those places,” says Alex Carruthers, manager of learning and community engagement for Toronto Public Library (TPL).
“We thought we could bring this to Torontonians and it would be a real benefit to them as well.”
In Canada, millions of people suffer from a range of winter blues due to the lack sunlight. Between two and three per cent of the population has full-blown SAD, with symptoms that include weight gain, decreased energy, fatigue, tendency to oversleep, irritability and feelings of anxiety and despair. And, another 15 per cent have a less severe experience, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Dr. Robert Levitan, a professor of psychiatry and physiology at the University of Toronto, welcomes the initiative. It’s the first time he’s heard of the lamps being used in public libraries in Ontario, but says there are Scandinavian cafes that use them.
“It’s an excellent idea,” says Levitan, who’s also the Cameron Parker Holcombe Wilson Chair in Depression Studies at U of T and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
“There are lots of people with seasonal mood symptoms and for some it’s hard to have access to light therapy, so having it available in a public place is a good thing.”
He notes that while full-blown SAD can be debilitating, even a milder form of seasonal depression can affect quality of life to a lesser degree. In either case, he says, light therapy is effective.
And, because the therapeutic lamps can be pricey — each one cost TPL about $240 — it’s an opportunity for people who normally couldn’t afford one to try it out.
It’s believed light therapy affects brain chemicals linked to mood, energy and sleep which helps ease symptoms. Levitan, who’s been involved in light therapy studies, says it’s been shown to be very effective in about two-thirds of cases involving those with full-blown SAD.
“Part of the way it works is much like a stimulant, to help the brain wake up, much more effectively and quickly, which is very positive for mood.”
It’s generally considered safe; side effects may include headaches and eye strain. Check with your doctor first if you have bipolar illness or a family history of it, and if you have any condition that makes your eyes sensitive to light or take medications that increase light sensitivity.
At both library branches, information will be provided outlining what the lamps are for, who should avoid them and how to use them. For instance, it’s recommended that users sit, read or work in front of one for between 20 to 30 minutes.
Although the project just started Monday, Tiziano Vanola, who heads the Brentwood branch in Etobicoke, says feedback from library users has so far has been positive. They’re pleased that service is being offered and say they’ll be sure to use it.
That library, along with the Malvern branch in Scarborough, were selected to participate in the pilot project, which lasts until April, because they are busy locations and in opposite ends of the city.
“It is important that people give us feedback because we want to collect as many data as possible in order to then evaluate if it’s a service that we want to continue or expand.”
The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
