Why this study matters

Elderly with visual impairment often have a loss of independence, social isolation, loneliness, and a decreased quality of life, which in turn lead to undiagnosed/untreated affective disorders.

Study design

Patients > 60 years of age attending a macula clinic were screened for depression and anxiety with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2) instruments. PHG-9 and GAD-7 were administered to patients who scored > 3 on either or both instruments and referred to psychiatric evaluation as indicated.

Results and conclusion

Of 104 elderly patients > 60 years of age, the best corrected visual acuity was 0.58 LogMAR (20/80 [moderate loss of vision]).

Moreover, 29.8% and 7.7% of the patients had one or more symptoms of depression and significant symptoms of depression, respectively. Similarly, 28.8% and 3.8% of the patients had one or more symptoms of anxiety and significant symptoms of anxiety, respectively.