Abstract
The most common mental health problems in visually impaired and deaf-blind adults are depression, anxiety, tension, difficulties in falling asleep and disturbed sleep. The physical training program used in this study was designed with the aim of reducing the physical and mental problems of this population. Twenty-four visually impaired and deaf-blind adults completed a 5-6-week supervised physical training program (three 60-minute sessions per week) with varying rhythms of music. Motivation was enhanced in a number of ways, including measurement of weight, blood pressure, flexibility of upper body and trunk and gait analysis before and after the intervention. After completion of the training program the participants themselves assessed the effect of the intervention by answering freely in their own words the question: Did you feel or notice any effect of the physical training program? The responses showed that 22 participants experienced improvements in physical condition (binomial one-sided confidence interval CI = 0.76, confidence level 95%), 21 in mental state (CI = 0.71) and 11 in balance (CI = 0.28). According to this study moderate and regular physical exercises reduce mental and physical problems and allow visually impaired and deaf-blind adults to live to the fullest with independent mobility, orientation, and better self-confidence and self-esteem.
Highlights
People who are sedentary have more anxiety and depression, lower self-esteem, lower confidence levels, and poorer self-efficacy than people with a more active lifestyle [1]
Body composition and perceived quality of life have been found to be lower in visually impaired adults than in normally sighted adults [2]
In another study investigating the occurrence of depression in visually impaired people 75 years and older (n = 391) depression was found to be common in the group with severe visual impairment [5]
Summary
People who are sedentary have more anxiety and depression, lower self-esteem, lower confidence levels, and poorer self-efficacy than people with a more active lifestyle [1]. In a research study performed by the International Centre for Eye Health to investigate the connection between visual impairment, depression and anxiety, 13,900 persons over 75 years old were chosen randomly for participation. Their vision was examined, depression was assessed with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and anxiety was assessed with the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Donoyama and Takeda investigated mental health and related factors in 155 visually impaired massage practitioners and found that young masseurs had higher anxiety and depression levels than older masseurs [6]. A study amongst elderly Italian subjects showed that vision and hearing impairments were associated with depressive-anxiety syndrome [7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
