Presence of Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Open-Angle Glaucoma of Different Degrees of Damage

TL;DR

This study explores how anxiety and depression are linked to different stages of open-angle glaucoma in patients.

Contribution

The study identifies specific predictors of anxiety and depression in patients with varying degrees of open-angle glaucoma.

Findings

Female gender, age 66 and over, and feeling stressed are significant predictors of anxiety in glaucoma patients.

Age 66 and over and feeling stressed are significant predictors of depression severity in glaucoma patients.

Abstract

Background: Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, and it can be interconnected with psychoneurotic disorders due to the psychological and emotional stress that comes with such a chronic condition. The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics of the occurrence of anxiety, depression and open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in glaucoma patients from December 2023 to December 2024. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 patients with three different stages of OAG. Multiple questionnaires were used to determine the influence of different OAG stages on the severity of anxiety and depression. Results: While predicting the anxiety expression, in a multivariate logistic regression (stepwise method), there was a significant model in predicting the expression of anxiety: female gender (Odds ratio (OR) = 3.03), age of 66 and over (OR = 3.4) and the feeling of being under stress (OR = 7.07). In the prediction of a higher severity of depression, predictors are age 66 and older (OR = 2.03) and feeling stressed (OR = 9.47). Conclusions: While glaucoma and psychoneurotic disorders affect different systems in the body, the psychological toll of living with glaucoma can lead to exacerbation of glaucoma.

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