Abstract
BackgroundVision loss causes major changes in lifestyle and habits that may result in psychological distress and further reduction in the quality of life. Little is known about the magnitude of psychological distress in patients with vision loss and its variation with the normal. The aim of this study is, therefore, to investigate the psychological effects of vision loss and its determinants among Ethiopians.MethodsA comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on adults attending the Eye clinic of Jimma University Hospital. One hundred fifteen consecutive adults with visual loss at least in one eye and 115 age-and sex-matched controls with normal vision were studied. The psychological distress was measured using standardized Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Chi-square test and logistic regression were carried out and associations were considered significant at P<0.05.ResultsThe overall prevalence of psychological distress was 33.4%. While psychological distress was found in 49.8% of patients who had loss of vision at least in one eye, only 18.3% of the controls had it. In the adjusted analysis, patients with vision loss had 4.6 times higher risk of suffering from psychological distress compared to patients with normal vision (AOR 4.56; 95% CI 2.16-9.62). Moreover, patients with vision loss in both eyes (AOR 4.00; 95% CI 1.453-11.015) and with worse visual acuity in the better eye (AOR 3.66; 95% CI 1.27-10.54) were significantly more likely to have psychological distress than those patients with vision loss in one eye only and good visual acuity in the better eye respectively. The cause of visual loss, pattern of visual loss, duration of visual loss and sociodemographic variables did not influence the likelihood of having psychological distress.ConclusionPrevalence of psychological distress was significantly higher in patients with visual loss compared to patients with normal vision. There is a need for integration of psychosocial care into the current medical and surgical treatment of patients with vision loss.
Highlights
Eyes play a key role in all life forms to perceive and react to their environment
Any significant loss of visual function will diminish our ability to survive on the planet earth as we will be unable to fully sense danger and lose a great deal of interpersonal communication, education and social world [1,2,3] and other various independent living skills like mobility, which variously results in a loss of personal independence, social and family role, psychological and financial security, and selfesteem [2,3]
We found a high (33.9%) overall prevalence of psychological distress which was consistent with the findings of other similar study done on non-ophthalmic patients but using the same instrument in Zenebework-Alert Hospital, Addis Ababa which reported 34.6% [17]
Summary
Eyes play a key role in all life forms to perceive and react to their environment. About 85-90% of the sensory input to the brain comes from visual perception making vision critical and essential for a human being to be connected to the world [1,2,3]. When a person loses his/her sight and becomes blind, a devastating condition with deep psychological and socioeconomic implications follows. The loss of vision either from eye diseases or trauma causes major changes in lifestyle and habits of the person [4]. These changes may result in psychosocial distress leading to maladjustment [5] and further reduction of one’s quality of life [5]. Vision loss causes major changes in lifestyle and habits that may result in psychological distress and further reduction in the quality of life. Conclusion: Prevalence of psychological distress was significantly higher in patients with visual loss compared to patients with normal vision. There is a need for integration of psychosocial care into the current medical and surgical treatment of patients with vision loss
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