Experience of Dry Eye Patients With Anxiety and Depression: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

PurposeAnxiety and depression are important risk factors for dry eye disease (DED). The aims of this research are to identify the cause of anxiety and depression in DED patients and explore their strategies in coping with DED.MethodsThis is a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews, and the interviews records were analyzed through inductive thematic analysis. Participants were recruited from a large university affiliated hospital in the north of China, including 47 participants affected by depression and anxiety.ResultsAnalysis revealed the causes of anxiety and depression in DED patients could be divided into three major themes and nine subthemes: (1) From hospital: including difficulties in diagnosing and seeking medical advice, neglect or lack of attention from clinicians, low treatment satisfaction and complex comorbidities; (2) From daily life: including life satisfaction and well-being, changes in lifestyle pattern and changes in workstyle pattern; (3) From society: including burden of disease and reduction of social interaction. Most DED Patients with anxiety and depression were more likely to face the condition as well as receive treatments negatively, while the others tended to seek treatments unduly and blindly.ConclusionThis investigation offers new insights into the understanding difficulties in DED patients with anxiety and depression, and provides valuable guidance for supporting them to reduce depression and anxiety as well as improve prognosis.

Optometrists need to incorporate their understanding of the impact of dry eye disease in their patient management

“…However, one optometrist mentioned a possible benefit of support groups with peers. This is also emphasized by Yu et al, 27 who reported that dry eye disease patients, who experience depression and or anxiety, should attend support groups with peers in addition to professional counseling. Therefore, optometrists must become more aware of the possible psychological effects to observe them in time.…”

“…Nevertheless, this should be more everyday practice for optometrists in their profession. Yu et al 27 reported that specialists should be encouraged to participate in training to express their empathy to dry eye disease patients to promote a positive interaction between them and patients, especially focusing on their subjective symptoms. In addition, Yeh et al 28 reported a poor correlation between clinicians' and patients' assessment of disease severity and response to treatment for dry eye disease.…”

Current social determinants of health and social risk factors in conditions of the cornea: a scoping review

“…All included articles and the identified SDoH in each study are summarized in Table 1. Dry eye/ocular surface [18 ▪▪ ,19 ▪ –38 ▪ ] (21 articles) was the most prevalent cornea condition, followed by pterygium [39 ▪▪ ,40 ▪ –42 ▪ ] (4 articles), keratoplasty [43 ▪▪ ,44–46] (four articles), keratoconus [47 ▪ ,48,49] (three articles), cornea donation [50,51 ▪▪ ,52 ▪▪ ] (three articles), cornea thickness [53 ▪ ,54 ▪ ] (two articles), trachoma [55 ▪▪ ,56] (two articles), corneal ulcers [57 ▪ ,58 ▪ ] (two articles), corneal arcus [59 ▪ ] (one article), and corneal opacity[60 ▪ ] (one article). Cornea donation for transplantation was also explored.…”

Effects of social support on vision-related quality of life in older adults with dry eye disease: the chain mediating role of illness perception and coping style

“…Patients typically experience various symptoms, such as photophobia, fatigue, itchiness, burning, and visual disturbance, and some may even experience severe visual problems and blindness in the later stages if treatment is delayed ( Boboridis et al, 2023 ). Meanwhile, those with DED must bear a substantial economic burden and develop psychological problems such as anxiety and depression during prolonged therapy, making DED an important public health problem ( Chan et al, 2021 ; Yu et al, 2022 ). Furthermore, the ongoing deterioration of visual function in older adults leads to inconvenience in daily behaviors and activities, threatening the ocular health and vision-related quality of life (VRQOL) of older patients with DED ( Wang et al, 2020 ).…”