The impact of anisometropic amblyopia on children’s quality of life and mental health: A case-control study

Aim: We aimed to compare children with anisometropic amblyopia with their healthy peers in terms of quality of life and mental disorders and to identify possible psychosocial difficulties in children with amblyopia.Materials and Methods: This prospective case-control study included 95 children aged 5-12 years with unilateral anisometropic amblyopia between December 2023 and December 2024.Sociodemographic data form, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were applied to participants.Results: Mean age was 8.31 years in the patient group and 8.55 years in controls (p=0.058).The amblyopia group showed significantly lower scores in PedsQL total score, physical health, and psychosocial health subscales, as well as higher scores in the SDQ peer problems subscale compared to controls.Discussion: Children with amblyopia demonstrated impaired quality of life in both physical and psychosocial domains and experienced greater peer relationship difficulties.Ophthalmologists should be aware of these psychosocial impacts for early detection and intervention.