Abstract
BackgroundCataract surgeries can improve mental health outcomes. However, previous studies have not investigated whether the time interval between cataract surgeries for 2 eyes affects mental health outcomes.MethodsWe used the whole-population National Health Insurance (NHI) claims data from Taiwan to conduct a cohort study. Patients who received cataract surgeries for both eyes were identified (n = 585,422). The mental health inpatient and outpatient consultations received by these patients were analyzed, with different time intervals (< 3, 3 to 6, 6 to 12, and > 12 months) between the surgeries. Negative binominal regression was performed to estimate the interaction of the first eye surgery with the time interval.ResultsThe number of mental health consultations was lowest among patients with a time interval of < 3 months (1.783–1.743, P < .001), and a negative dose response effect was observed, such that a longer time interval corresponded to a lower reduction in the number of mental health consultations. For patients with a time interval of > 12 months, the predicted number of mental health consultations increased from 1.674 to 1.796 (P < .001).ConclusionsGiven a patient expected to receive surgeries for both eyes within 1 year, scheduling both surgeries within a short time interval may be beneficial for maximizing the effects of cataract surgery in reducing the number of mental health consultations.
Highlights
Visual loss has been reported to be associated with depression and an increased risk of suicide [1,2,3]
The purpose of the interaction term was to determine whether the effects of first-eye surgery on mental health consultations vary according to time intervals between the 2 eyes
The number of mental health consultations was reduced for patients with time intervals of < 3 months (1.783 to 1.743, P < .001), and there was a negative dose response effect such that a longer time interval corresponded to a lower reduction in the number of mental health consultations
Summary
Visual loss has been reported to be associated with depression and an increased risk of suicide [1,2,3]. The most common treatable cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide, have been reported to be associated with depression and anxiety [4,5,6]. One study showed that patients with poorer visual acuity awaiting cataract surgery were more likely to be depressed than those with. Not all studies have confirmed such positive effects of cataract surgery on depression [12, 13]. Anxiety and depression may be increased after surgery in patients whose vision does not improve [10, 14]. Cataract surgeries can improve mental health outcomes. Previous studies have not investigated whether the time interval between cataract surgeries for 2 eyes affects mental health outcomes
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