Effects of depressive symptoms on health behavior practices among older adults with vision loss.

Abstract

Older visually impaired adults with depressive symptoms are vulnerable to health decline and further disablement without timely interventions that target smoking cessation, healthy eating, and increased physical activity.

Prevalence and impact of depressive symptoms in patients with age-related macular degeneration

“…4,12,13 Older adults with both vision impairment and depression face substantially greater difficulty with a variety of functional and social roles when compared with patients with either disorder independently, suggesting that the effect on QOL may be negatively synergistic. 14 Dissatisfaction with the performance of valued activities, including living independently, socializing, reading, and driving, as well as lack of adaptation to reduced vision, has been associated with increased prevalence of depression in patients with AMD. 3,6,11,[15][16][17] Because untreated depression can reduce treatment effectiveness for other conditions, it would be helpful to be able to more easily identify which patients have increased risk for depression.…”

The Implantable Miniature Telescope and Quality of Life Improvements in Patients with End-Stage Age-Related Macular Degeneration

“…Depression has been reported to exacerbate AMD symptoms, [39] causing many AMD patients to believe that their vision is worse than it is [33]. Patients with vision loss and depression often report challenges such as difficulty traveling to the clinic for appointments, trouble communicating with staff once there, and difficulty retaining the information provided [38]. Combined, these challenges and negative outlook lead to noncompliance, loss to follow-up, and worse outcomes overall [33].…”

“…Elderly patients with depression and end-stage AMD report extreme dissatisfaction in a variety of social and functional activities as compared with patients with either disorder independently, suggesting that the combination has a particularly negative impact on QoL [38]. Depression has been reported to exacerbate AMD symptoms, [39] causing many AMD patients to believe that their vision is worse than it is [33].…”

Disability caused by post-stroke visual impairment as an underestimated clinical problem — case report

“…It is essential that patients with visual disorders are thoroughly examined by a neurologist and ophthalmologist and undergo follow-up neuroimaging visualising and assessing the extent of cerebral stroke (preferably using MRI) as well as perimetry tests [13][14][15]. Complex medical attention, objectivisation of disorders, and evaluation of prognosis favourably affect the patient`s mental condition, which prevents reactive mood disorders enhancing disability [16]. The university centres we are employed in cooperate to provide patients who have post-stroke visual impairments as the prevailing neurological symptom following stroke with complex care.…”