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Psychological impact of vision loss
journal contribution
posted on 2023-08-30, 20:14 authored by Heather Boagey, Jasleen K. Jolly, Anne FerreyA diagnosis of conditions leading to vision loss can be devastating and
often impacts mental health. Understanding this allows us to consider
what provisions might help those who are impacted. We undertook
18 semi-structured interviews with patients diagnosed with eye disease
leading to vision loss to explore its psychological impact. Participants also
completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), providing a snapshot of
their depression and anxiety levels at the time of interview. NVivo-12
software (QSR International Ltd, Burlington, Massachusetts, USA) was used
to inductively analyze and code data to identify themes related to the
psychological impact. Participants had a mean BDI score of 9.6, and
thematic analysis generated five key themes and associated subthemes.
Coming to terms with the diagnosis included discussion of subthemes
of “denial” and moving towards “acceptance”. Effects on mental health
included depression/low mood, anxiety, and stress-related worsening of
vision. Loss included various losses following initial loss of vision. Effects
on identity included facing a curtailed life, worry that visual impairment
might define a person’s identity, and feelings of frustration with their
own loss of function and with others’ reactions to their disability. The
future included thoughts about long-term consequences, both negative
and positive (e.g., maximizing experiences given the vision one has left).
Although such a diagnosis will nearly always have a psychological impact
and require work to move toward acceptance, support could mitigate
impact on mental health, such as practical support (e.g. advice on low
vision aids), and psychological support
History
Refereed
- Yes
Publication title
Journal of Mental Health & Clinical PsychologyISSN
2578-2959File version
- Accepted version
Language
- eng