Depression, anxiety, and stress indicators for patients who are blind or visually impaired

Background: Severe visual impairment is reportedly detrimental to mental health. Blind individuals are expected to have poorer mental health status compared to those with low vision. However, most mental health studies have focused on people with low vision, leaving a substantial gap in our understanding of the mental health status of the blind. Therefore, this study compared the mental health status of individuals with low vision to that of blind individuals. Methods: This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based investigation involved individuals with low vision or blindness who were registered with the Social Welfare Department, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Participants were recruited using a simple random sampling method. The medical records of each participant were screened. Participants were individually interviewed, and their socio-demographic details, education level, working status, marital status, type and duration of impairment, and rehabilitation status were collected. Additionally, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was administered to each individual. Results: Of the 30 participants, 20 (66.7%) had low vision and 10 (33.3%) had blindness, 16 (53.3%) were men, and most participants were single (n = 20, 66.7%). Congenital and acquired causes of visual impairment each accounted for 50% of cases. Most participants (n = 26, 86.7%) had not received psychosocial rehabilitation. The mean DASS-21 scores for the depression, anxiety, and stress subscales were significantly higher in patients with low vision than in those with blindness (all P < 0.05). Considering the clinical cut-off increments to determine emotional states for the DASS-21 subscales, individuals with low vision were in the mild, moderate, and mild categories for the depression, anxiety, and stress subscales, respectively. Individuals with blindness were categorized as normal in all subscales. The mean DASS-21 scores for the depression, anxiety, and stress subscales among individuals with congenital and acquired causes of visual impairment were comparable (all P > 0.05). Individuals with congenital visual impairment were in the normal, moderate, and normal categories for the depression, anxiety, and stress subscales, respectively. Those with acquired visual impairment were categorized as mild, moderate, and normal for the depression, anxiety, and stress subscales, respectively. Conclusions: Individuals with low vision experienced mild to moderate levels of mental health issues, which may consist of depression, anxiety, stress, or a combination of these. The blind individuals in this study demonstrated no similar mental health issues. The small number of participants in certain racial and age groups prevents us from concluding how these factors might influence mental health. Further research with a larger sample size should consider the severity of visual impairment, age groups, and ethnicity, as these factors may impact the outcomes.