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Visual impairment in persons with psychotic disorder
Satu Viertiö1, Arja Laitinen, Jonna Perälä
1Dept. of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300, Helsinki, Finland. satu.viertio@ktl.fi
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
|September 12, 2007
Summary
Individuals with schizophrenia have significantly poorer distance and near vision. They also attend fewer eye exams, highlighting the need for regular vision checks in psychotic disorder care.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Poorer visual acuity (VA) is common in individuals with psychotic disorders.
- This study examines the prevalence of impaired VA and self-reported vision difficulties in a general population across different psychotic disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of impaired habitual VA in individuals with schizophrenia, other non-affective psychotic disorders, and affective psychoses.
- To assess self-reported vision difficulties in these patient groups.
- To compare vision examination rates between individuals with schizophrenia and the general population.
Main Methods:
- A nationally representative sample of 6,663 adults aged 30+ had their binocular VA measured.
- Psychotic disorders were diagnosed using SCID interviews and case notes, classifying lifetime diagnoses into schizophrenia, other non-affective psychotic disorders, and affective psychoses.
- Data were adjusted for age and sex.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia was significantly associated with increased odds of distance (OR 5.04) and near vision impairment (OR 6.22).
- Self-reported vision problems were more frequent in schizophrenia and other non-affective psychotic disorders.
- Only 43.9% of individuals with schizophrenia had had a vision exam in the prior 5 years, compared to 69.7% in the total sample.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with schizophrenia exhibit significantly poorer vision and attend fewer eye examinations.
- Regular ocular evaluations are crucial for physical health monitoring in patients with psychotic disorders, particularly schizophrenia.
- This underscores the importance of integrating vision care into routine mental health management.
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