Depression in Older People: Visual Impairment and Subjective Ratings of Health

Abstract

Depression was common in this population of older adults with severe visual impairment. Impaired visual and physical functions were associated with symptoms of depression. The effect of visual disability was independent of the effect of physical disability. The strength of this relationship, and the results of the regression analyses, indicate that a person who is visually or physically disabled is more likely to suffer from depression.

Effect of depression on actual and perceived effects of reading rehabilitation for people with central vision loss

“…Hayman et al found that subjective perceptions of health were more important in explaining feelings of depression than the actual objective measures of visual function [10]. This article supports that finding, because reported depressive levels were independent of actual visual acuity measurements.…”

“…The association between depression and visual impairment has been well documented [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. In a recent study, Hayman et al used depression inventories to determine that older adults with visual impairment report higher levels of depressive symptomatology than older adults without visual impairment [10].…”

“…In a recent study, Hayman et al used depression inventories to determine that older adults with visual impairment report higher levels of depressive symptomatology than older adults without visual impairment [10]. It can be inferred that depression was directly related to the experience of vision loss, because the findings were independent of age, sex, living situation, ethnicity, number of medications taken, use of antidepressants, and visual acuity.…”

Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Training in Reducing Depression in Visually Impaired Male Students

“…Many studies showed that during the developmental stage of children and adolescents with visual impairment, they continue becoming more vulnerable to life circumstances [9]. Low vision is associated with negative consequences such as limitations in day-to-day activities [10,11], poor physical function [10], depressive symptoms [12][13][14][15][16], and low quality of life [17]. There is an internal relationship between sensory impairment, mental and social functioning, and communication [18].…”

“…Several studies [11][12][13][14][15][16] have stated high rates of depression in people with impaired vision. But only a few researches conducted on visually impaired people have accredited the role of psychological interventions in reducing depression in this group.…”