Psychological effects of the pandemic on vision impairment patients

Abstract

Our study aims to understand the impact of the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on mental health of individuals with vision impairment and to highlight the unique challenges faced due to social isolation and disruption in healthcare services. The study design is a systematic review and meta-analysis. A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases. A total of 363 articles were screened, 18 studies were included for qualitative analysis and 12 were used for quantitative analysis. After screening, a risk of bias assessment was carried out. Data were extracted and a meta-analysis was performed using STATA 14.0. Fixed-effect and random-effect models were computed based on heterogeneity. Our meta-analysis encompassed 16 studies investigating the psychological impact of COVID-19 in 2317 vision loss patients. The meta-analysis indicated significant levels of loneliness (44%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.24 to 0.64]); anxiety (45%, 95% CI = [–0.31 to 1.21]); depression (48% CI = [–0.05 to 1.01]); fear of vision loss (42% mild, 95% CI = [0.24 to 0.61]); fear of contracting COVID-19 (61%, 95% CI = [0.45 to 0.77]); and psychiatric disorders (28%, 95% CI = [0.07 to 0.50]) for patients with vision impairment. Vision loss patients experienced significant levels of loneliness, anxiety, depression, fear of vision loss, fear of contracting COVID-19, and psychiatric disorders during the pandemic. This psychological distress is attributable to poor access to health care, a lack of social support, and difficulties adhering to pandemic-related precautions such as physical distancing and avoiding contaminated surfaces.