Visually impaired up to four times more prone to mental health problems
Visually impaired people are more likely to suffer anxiety or depression than those without eyesight problems, and symptoms are most common among those with the greatest impairment.
Those are the findings from the charity Sightsavers, which investigated links between vision and mental health in almost 4,000 individuals aged 50 or over from Kogi state, Nigeria.
Symptoms of anxiety and depression were twice as common among those with moderate visual impairment or worse, compared with those without eyesight loss. They were 2.7 times as likely among those with severe visual impairment (SVI) and four times as likely among the blind.
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This year's National Eye Health Week will take place from 18 to 24 September 2023, promoting the importance of good eye health and the need for regular sight tests for all.