FP552 : Assessment of 100 patients with HADS score before and after using low vision care: prospective study

Dr.Pukhraj Rishi

Aim: Assessment of anxiety and depression in patients advised low vision care using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS)

Methods: Prospective study. 100 patients with low vision were assessed on depression and anxiety sub-scales of HADS questionnaire before and after low vision care (LVC).

Results: Mean age at presentation was 38.2 years. Mean duration of symptoms was 9.6 years. Underlying etiology included retinal dystrophy/degeneration (n=35), disorders of optic nerve(n=17), glaucoma(n=10), DR(n=9), AMD(n=5), uncorrected refractive errors(n=5), and miscellaneous(n=19). Mean presenting BCVA was 0.83 (±0.64) which improved to 0.78 (±0.63) after LVC. At baseline, mean HADS-Depression and HADS-Anxiety scores were 8.4(±3.7) and 9.6(±4.3) points, which improved significantly to 6.0(±3.4) and 6.7(±3.7) respectively, after low-vision correction (P<0.001). Conclusion: Low vision correction can significantly improve anxiety and depression indicators in visually impaired patients.