IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i4p1670-d496585.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

“Shedding Light on Light”: A Review on the Effects on Mental Health of Exposure to Optical Radiation

Author

Listed:
  • Davide Elia Bertani

    (Department of Biomedical & Metabolic Sciences and Neuroscience, School of Specialization in Psychiatry, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy)

  • Antonella Maria Pia De Novellis

    (Department of Biomedical & Metabolic Sciences and Neuroscience, School of Specialization in Psychiatry, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy)

  • Riccardo Farina

    (Department of Biomedical & Metabolic Sciences and Neuroscience, School of Specialization in Psychiatry, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy)

  • Emanuela Latella

    (Department of Biomedical & Metabolic Sciences and Neuroscience, School of Specialization in Psychiatry, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy)

  • Matteo Meloni

    (Department of Biomedical & Metabolic Sciences and Neuroscience, School of Specialization in Psychiatry, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy)

  • Carmela Scala

    (Department of Biomedical & Metabolic Sciences and Neuroscience, School of Specialization in Psychiatry, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy)

  • Laura Valeo

    (Department of Biomedical & Metabolic Sciences and Neuroscience, School of Specialization in Psychiatry, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy)

  • Gian Maria Galeazzi

    (Department of Biomedical & Metabolic Sciences and Neuroscience, School of Specialization in Psychiatry, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy)

  • Silvia Ferrari

    (Department of Biomedical & Metabolic Sciences and Neuroscience, School of Specialization in Psychiatry, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy)

Abstract

In relation to human health and functioning, light, or more specifically optical radiation, plays many roles, beyond allowing vision. These may be summarized as: regulation of circadian rhythms; consequences of direct exposure to the skin; and more indirect effects on well-being and functioning, also related to lifestyle and contact with natural and urban environments. Impact on mental health is relevant for any of these specifications and supports a clinical use of this knowledge for the treatment of psychiatric conditions, such as depression or anxiety, somatic symptom disorder, and others, with reference to light therapy in particular. The scope of this narrative review is to provide a summary of recent findings and evidence on the regulating functions of light on human beings’ biology, with a specific focus on mental health, its prevention and care.

Suggested Citation

  • Davide Elia Bertani & Antonella Maria Pia De Novellis & Riccardo Farina & Emanuela Latella & Matteo Meloni & Carmela Scala & Laura Valeo & Gian Maria Galeazzi & Silvia Ferrari, 2021. "“Shedding Light on Light”: A Review on the Effects on Mental Health of Exposure to Optical Radiation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-15, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:4:p:1670-:d:496585
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/4/1670/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/4/1670/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Florian Lederbogen & Peter Kirsch & Leila Haddad & Fabian Streit & Heike Tost & Philipp Schuch & Stefan Wüst & Jens C. Pruessner & Marcella Rietschel & Michael Deuschle & Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, 2011. "City living and urban upbringing affect neural social stress processing in humans," Nature, Nature, vol. 474(7352), pages 498-501, June.
    2. Mihyang An & Stephen M Colarelli & Kimberly O'Brien & Melanie E Boyajian, 2016. "Why We Need More Nature at Work: Effects of Natural Elements and Sunlight on Employee Mental Health and Work Attitudes," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(5), pages 1-17, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Charlotte Wendelboe-Nelson & Sarah Kelly & Marion Kennedy & John W. Cherrie, 2019. "A Scoping Review Mapping Research on Green Space and Associated Mental Health Benefits," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-49, June.
    2. Brittany E Evans & Anja C Huizink & Kirstin Greaves-Lord & Joke H M Tulen & Karin Roelofs & Jan van der Ende, 2020. "Urbanicity, biological stress system functioning and mental health in adolescents," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-24, March.
    3. Arandjelović, Ognjen, 2023. "Resolving the Ethical Quagmire of the Persistent Vegetative State," SocArXiv xrwz8_v1, Center for Open Science.
    4. Bessa, Eduardo & Gonçalves-de-Freitas, Eliane, 2014. "How does tourist monitoring alter fish behavior in underwater trails?," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 253-259.
    5. Wilma L Zijlema & Bart Klijs & Ronald P Stolk & Judith G M Rosmalen, 2015. "(Un)Healthy in the City: Respiratory, Cardiometabolic and Mental Health Associated with Urbanity," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(12), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Junfang Xie & Binyi Liu & Mohamed Elsadek, 2021. "How Can Flowers and Their Colors Promote Individuals’ Physiological and Psychological States during the COVID-19 Lockdown?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-15, September.
    7. Chorong Song & Harumi Ikei & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2018. "Physiological Effects of Visual Stimulation with Forest Imagery," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-11, January.
    8. Alessandro Lorenzo Mura & Silvia Ariccio & Teresa Villani & Flavia Bonaiuto & Marino Bonaiuto, 2023. "The Physical Environment in Remote Working: Development and Validation of Perceived Remote Workplace Environment Quality Indicators (PRWEQIs)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-16, February.
    9. Kirsten McEwan & David Giles & Fiona J. Clarke & Yasu Kotera & Gary Evans & Olga Terebenina & Lina Minou & Claire Teeling & Jaskaran Basran & Wendy Wood & Dominic Weil, 2021. "A Pragmatic Controlled Trial of Forest Bathing Compared with Compassionate Mind Training in the UK: Impacts on Self-Reported Wellbeing and Heart Rate Variability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-19, January.
    10. Fei Wang & Shu Li & Xin-Wen Bai & Xiao-Peng Ren & Li-Lin Rao & Jin-Zhen Li & Huan Liu & Hong-Zhi Liu & Bin Wu & Rui Zheng, 2015. "Town Mouse or Country Mouse: Identifying a Town Dislocation Effect in Chinese Urbanization," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(5), pages 1-14, May.
    11. Rhiannon Corcoran & Rosie Mansfield & Trina Giokas & Amy Hawkins & Lauren Bamford & Graham Marshall, 2017. "Places Change Minds: Exploring the Psychology of Urbanicity Using a Brief Contemplation Method," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(2), pages 21582440177, May.
    12. Hiroko Ochiai & Chorong Song & Harumi Ikei & Michiko Imai & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2017. "Effects of Visual Stimulation with Bonsai Trees on Adult Male Patients with Spinal Cord Injury," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-10, September.
    13. Mikko Weckroth & Sanna Ala-Mantila & Dimitris Ballas & Thanasis Ziogas & Jonna Ikonen, 2022. "Urbanity, Neighbourhood Characteristics and Perceived Quality of Life (QoL): Analysis of Individual and Contextual Determinants for Perceived QoL in 3300 Postal Code Areas in Finland," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 139-164, November.
    14. Mardelle Shepley & Naomi Sachs & Hessam Sadatsafavi & Christine Fournier & Kati Peditto, 2019. "The Impact of Green Space on Violent Crime in Urban Environments: An Evidence Synthesis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-19, December.
    15. Luca S. D’Acci, 2020. "Urbanicity mental costs valuation: a review and urban-societal planning consideration," Mind & Society: Cognitive Studies in Economics and Social Sciences, Springer;Fondazione Rosselli, vol. 19(2), pages 223-235, November.
    16. Chorong Song & Harumi Ikei & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2015. "Elucidation of a Physiological Adjustment Effect in a Forest Environment: A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-9, April.
    17. Xiaodong Zheng & Yue Zhang & Yu Chen & Xiangming Fang, 2021. "Internal Migration Experience and Depressive Symptoms among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-15, December.
    18. Izadi, Anoosha & Rudd, Melanie & Patrick, Vanessa M., 2019. "The Way the Wind Blows: Direction of Airflow Energizes Consumers and Fuels Creative Engagement," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 95(4), pages 143-157.
    19. Harumi Ikei & Chorong Song & Yoshifumi Miyazaki, 2018. "Physiological Effects of Touching the Wood of Hinoki Cypress ( Chamaecyparis obtusa ) with the Soles of the Feet," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-14, September.
    20. Viniece Jennings & Lincoln Larson & Jessica Yun, 2016. "Advancing Sustainability through Urban Green Space: Cultural Ecosystem Services, Equity, and Social Determinants of Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-15, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:4:p:1670-:d:496585. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.