The ancient art of acupuncture may be just as effective as certain prescription medications for relieving depression, according to new research.

Researchers at the University of Arizona at Tucson split 34 depressed subjects into three groups: 12 subjects  received acupuncture specifically designed for depression,  11 got acupuncture designed to treat other conditions like back pain or headache and 11 got no treatment.

After eight  weeks, the people who received the depression specific acupuncture reported a reduction of symptoms  four times higher than that seen in the other acupuncture  group.

When all the people in the study  were placed on the specific program  for another eight weeks,  nearly two-thirds of them showed complete remission (relief) of  their depression.

That rate is about the same seen in patients who receive antidepressant  medication or psychotherapy, says lead study author John  J.B. Allen, Ph.D.

While traditional acupuncturists believe the  technique restores balance between yin and yang forces  within the body, some Western researchers theorize it works  by releasing endorphins, natural body chemicals that relieve  pain and enhance feelings of pleasure.

Whatever the mechanism, “These findings suggest that acupuncture is sufficiently effective against depression to warrant a much larger trial,” says Dr. Allen.

As the spring and summer months draw near, some of us notice a dramatic increase in energy, quality of sleep, a reduction in food cravings and an overall improvement in mental focus.

So what’s this all  about? These improvements in quality of  life may have to do with the soothing  effect increased sunlight  has on a condition called  Seasonal Affective Disorder  (SAD).

Individuals with  SAD experience depression during the fall  and winter but feel fine  during the spring and summer. SAD appears to be more common the farther  north you go. In the South, less  than one percent of the population  experience SAD, while in Alaska and  Canada as many as 10 percent suffer from SAD.

Researchers believe SAD results from a  lack of sunshine and the colder temperatures associated with the fall and winter  seasons. Under these colder, darker  conditions, the “biological clock” in  some people simply runs slower, causing  hormonal disturbances and depression.

Fortunately, numerous studies show treating  sufferers with bright light can  reset the “biological clock” that regulates hormones, sleep and mood. In fact, as little  as 30 minutes of light therapy per day  can yield about 75 percent clinical remissions.

So get out and enjoy the warmer  weather, and remind yourself that it may  offer you more than just fun in the sun. It may offer you a prescription for good mental health.

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