The development of posttraumatic stress disorder in individuals with visual impairment: a systematic search and review

Abstract

Purpose Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem with a negative impact on quality of life. Little is known about the relationship between PTSD and visual impairment. According to diagnostic criteria for PTSD, vision loss in itself is generally not considered as a traumatic event. PTSD in people with visual impairment is more likely to be the result of traumatic events, which are not directly related, or are only indirectly related to, visual impairment. The purpose of this systematic review was to describe and discuss the literature on the development of PTSD in people with visual impairment. Methods A literature search in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and Web of Science was performed up to 15 November 2019 in collaboration with a medical information specialist. Additional search strategies included hand searches of references of retrieved papers and free‐text hand searches in Google Scholar. Thematic content analysis of the extracted data was carried out in order to identify main themes and subthemes. Results Findings from 13 articles are presented in a narrative manner along three main themes: (1) posttraumatic stress disorder; (2) traumatic events and (3) impact of traumatic events. People with visual impairments may be at higher risk of being exposed to certain potentially traumatic events. Limited/restricted access to situational information during events may contribute to the stressfulness of the experience. Furthermore, visual impairment may shape the impact of traumatic events. Conclusions The current evidence suggests some unique experiences and challenges for people who are visually impaired. PTSD was prevalent in this population, and prevalence rates ranged from 4% to 50%. Future research may focus on gaining insight into the extent and burden of PTSD, and exploring help‐seeking behaviour and treatment needs among those with visual impairment and PTSD.

Stable abnormalities of contrast discrimination sensitivity in subthreshold depression: A longitudinal study

“…Deficits of visual functioning have been found in many mental illnesses, such as depression (e.g., Jung et al, 2020; Wesner & Tan, 2006), anxiety (e.g., Ferneyhough et al, 2013; Meynadasy et al, 2020), bipolar disorder (e.g., Fernandes et al, 2019; O'Bryan et al, 2014), schizophrenia (see reviews, Silverstein, 2016; Thakkar et al, 2019), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (e.g., Bartgis et al, 2009; Dönmez et al, 2020), autism spectrum disorders (e.g., Bakroon & Lakshminarayanan, 2016; Noel et al, 2021), obsessive–compulsive disorder (e.g., Gonçalves et al, 2010; Stern et al, 2017), and post‐traumatic stress disorder (van der Ham et al, 2021).…”

The Roles of Stress, Sleep, and Fatigue on Depression in People with Visual Impairments

“…Depressive symptoms coupled with alterations in mood, sleep, appetite, and social engagement may affect overall well-being in this population. Along with the high prevalence of depressive symptoms, PVI have reported PTSD, among 4%-50% of the population, with large variance (van der Ham et al, 2021). In recent qualitative studies, the stressful factors that could create trauma resulting in mental health diagnoses spoken of by PVI were unfamiliar environments, such as public transportation challenges (Crudden, Cmar, & McDonnall, 2017), lack of accessible information (Lyngroth & Gammelsaeter, 2022), and social expectations (Lyngroth & Gammelsaeter, 2022).…”

Serious Life Events in People with Visual Impairment Versus the General Population

“…Serious life events, such as traffic accidents, physical assaults, and rape, are events of such a serious nature that they can evoke major psychological distress, including feelings of intense fear and helplessness, in almost anyone [ 1 ]. For people with visual impairment, the absence of vision may affect the individual’s experience and response to a life event [ 2 ], which may amplify the stressfulness of the situation [ 3 ]. In fact, serious life events have been highlighted as an important barrier for the fulfillment of human rights in this population [ 4 ], and coincided with a variety of adverse health outcomes, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [ 2 , 3 ], substance abuse [ 2 ], depression [ 5 , 6 ], loneliness [ 7 ], and all-cause mortality [ 8 ].…”

“…For people with visual impairment, the absence of vision may affect the individual’s experience and response to a life event [ 2 ], which may amplify the stressfulness of the situation [ 3 ]. In fact, serious life events have been highlighted as an important barrier for the fulfillment of human rights in this population [ 4 ], and coincided with a variety of adverse health outcomes, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [ 2 , 3 ], substance abuse [ 2 ], depression [ 5 , 6 ], loneliness [ 7 ], and all-cause mortality [ 8 ]. To design preventive health strategies and facilitate the basic human needs of people with visual impairment, precise knowledge about the extent of serious life events is essential.…”

“…Knowledge about the extent of serious life events in the visual impairment population is limited. In two systematic reviews of the literature [ 2 , 3 ], we identified one study that examined a broad range of serious life events in people with visual impairment (search methods described in the Online Supplement ). In that study, which was from a war zone in Lebanon, people with vision or hearing loss had experienced less serious life events than their sighted or hearing peers [ 19 ].…”