Depression and Anxiety in Patients With Irreversible Vision Loss: Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.
Nirmit Shah, Edward Tran, Mohamed Aly et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed depression and anxiety prevalence among people with irreversible vision loss, including comparisons by cause: age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. Depression prevalence was 21% (95% CI: 0.17-0.26) among 76 561 patients, with estimates of 27% (95% CI: 0.19-0.35) for AMD, 48% (95% CI: 0.32-0.64) for diabetic retinopathy, and 23% (95% CI: 0.16-0.29) for glaucoma. Anxiety prevalence was 22% (95% CI: 0.15-0.30) among 25 616 patients.
Key findings
- Depression prevalence was 21% (95% CI: 0.17-0.26) among 76 561 patients with irreversible vision loss.
- Depression prevalence varied by cause: 27% (95% CI: 0.19-0.35) in AMD, 48% (95% CI: 0.32-0.64) in diabetic retinopathy, and 23% (95% CI: 0.16-0.29) in glaucoma.
- Anxiety prevalence was 22% (95% CI: 0.15-0.30) among 25 616 patients.
Why it matters
The pooled estimates indicate that depression and anxiety are common among people with irreversible vision loss, with depression estimates differing across underlying conditions. These findings highlight mental health as an important dimension of care alongside visual impairment and rehabilitation, and support attention to psychological wellbeing when assessing the broader impact of vision loss.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not report study-level methods or heterogeneity, limiting assessment of how comparable the included populations and prevalence estimates were.