Psychological morbidity among ophthalmic patients in south west Nigeria

Abstract

Background : Eye disorders extol great impact on the quality of life and mental health of individuals, thus constitute a public health concern. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics of psychological problems among patients with eye disorders in a major eye clinic in southwest Nigeria. Materials and Methods : It was a cross-sectional survey. Consecutive patients attending the clinic over a period of 6 weeks were administered questionnaire with sections on demographic and clinical characteristics, General Health Questionnaire and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to assess psychological morbidity, anxiety, and depressive disorders. Results : One hundred and forty-seven respondents consisting of 51.7% female took part in the study. Glaucoma (28.6%) was the most frequent diagnosis. About a fifth (19.7%) of the respondents had psychological morbidity, while 15 and 14.3% of the respondents screened positive for anxiety disorder and depression respectively. More than half of the respondents (54.4%) had poor visual acuity. There was no statistical difference between the respondents who were visually impaired compared with those that were not as far as psychological morbidity (P = 0.93), anxiety (P = 0.99), and depression (P = 0.22) are concern. Respondents with comorbid conditions were significantly more likely to have psychological morbidity (P = 0.05) and anxiety disorders (P = 0.02) compared with those without comorbidity. Conclusion : There is high prevalence of psychological disorders among ophthalmic patients with or without visual impairment. Thus, assessment for psychological distress and other emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression among patients presenting with eye disorders is very important.