TITLE:
Burden and Severity of Depression in Nigeria: Relationship and Association with Visual Impairment
AUTHORS:
Godwin Onyebueke, Suhanyah Okeke, Ifeoma Nwabuogo Asimadu
KEYWORDS:
Depression, Visual Acuity, Visual Function, Vision-Targeted Health Status
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.12 No.4,
October
13,
2022
ABSTRACT: The study investigated the burden and severity of depression in
relationship with visual impairment in Nigeria. Four hundred (400) male and
female in and outpatients with various degrees of visual impairment attending a clinic
in the department of ophthalmology, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital,
Parklane Enugu were used. They were selected through the purposive sampling method. The socio-demographic
questionnaire, Beck depression inventory and WHO-VFQ (visual function
questionnaire were used to collect data. The result showed that the domains of
vision-related health status were negatively related to depression at (-0.4) also general vision (-0.09), ocular pain (-0.23),
vision-specific mental health (-0.03), role difficulties (-0.03),
role difficulties (-0.03),
dependency (-0.09), color vision
(-0.30) and peripheral vision
(-0.13) and vision-specific social functioning. Domains of near acuity and vision specific
social functioning were positively related, but the only statistically significant domain was vision-specific
social functioning at (0.30, p 0.001).
It was suggested that hospitals, families and other social groups should ensure
that they provide social and emotional support to the visually impaired
using their facilities.