The psychosocial aspects of strabismus: correlation between the AS-20 and DAS59 quality-of-life questionnaires

We need to pay heed to the psychosocial aspects of strabismus

“…The AS20 was then compared against the DAS59 using 34 patients and 30 controls. 9 There was strong correlation between the two questionnaires. The strabismus group showed significantly more psychosocial distress than controls.…”

Improvement in patients' quality-of-life following strabismus surgery: evaluation of postoperative outcomes using the Adult Strabismus 20 (AS-20) score

“…The AS-20 shows a much greater sensitivity to the effects of strabismus than the widely used 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire 11 and correlates well to the Derriford Appearance Scale 59 research tool, indicating that the AS-20 is not influenced by other bodily factors that can impinge on patients' perception of their own appearance. 7 We report a prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing squint surgery between August 2010 and February 2012. Patients who were listed for strabismus surgery were asked to complete the AS-20 at their pre-assessment clinic visit by the specialist orthoptist (JY or VW), following their orthoptic assessment.…”

“…Second, strabismic adults have been shown to have social and psychological issues directly related to their condition, which impact all aspects of their lives: education, social relationships, employment prospects, and self-esteem. [2][3][4][5][6][7] One study has shown that manifest strabismus has a direct relationship with mental health issues, which occur more commonly when compared with controls. 8 A review of the psychosocial issues associated with squint concluded thus, 'There is overwhelming evidence describing these negative effects on patients.'…”

“…These issues were addressed by the development of the strabismus-specific quality-of-life questionnaire (QoL), the Adult Strabismus 20 (AS-20), which assesses both the functional and psychosocial aspects of strabismus. 10 It has been shown to be superior in comparisons with existing QoL assessment tools, 7,11 with a high retest reliability. 12 The AS-20 provides a basis for assessing the holistic effects of squint surgery by comparing pre-and postoperative scores and relating these to the objective surgical success of the procedure.…”

The impact of strabismus on quality of life in adults with and without diplopia: a systematic review

“…Similarly, adults with strabismus have significantly poorer QoL compared to visually normal adults 13,19 and adults with other eye conditions including cataracts, cornea, and glaucoma, 19 but no difference was found between esodeviation and exodeviation. 12,13 In addition to the clear impact strabismus can have on a person's QoL, adults with strabismus experience higher levels of anxiety and depression 23,24 and report low selfimage, self-esteem, and self-confidence, 24,31,39 commonly describing themselves as "stupid", "ugly", and "different". 28 Strabismus may affect eye contact and make social communication awkward both for the individual with strabismus and the person interacting with them.…”