Psychological Morbidity After Ocular Trauma: Association Between Initial Visual Loss and PTSD

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Psychiatry
• Trauma Care

Background:

• Ocular trauma is a leading cause of vision loss and psychological distress.
• Mechanical eye injuries can result in significant visual impairment and mental health challenges.
• Understanding the psychological impact of ocular trauma is crucial for comprehensive patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with mechanical ocular trauma.
• To investigate if initial visual acuity predicts psychological morbidity, specifically PTSD.
• To identify clinical predictors of severe PTSD following eye injury.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 58 adult patients with mechanical ocular trauma.
• Data collected included demographics, injury details, initial visual acuity (LogMAR), and ocular trauma scores.
• Psychological status assessed using validated questionnaires for depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

Main Results:

• 35.1% of patients exhibited severe or very severe PTSD symptoms.
• A positive correlation was observed between initial visual acuity and PTSD scores (r = 0.273, p = 0.038).
• Initial visual acuity was a non-significant predictor of severe PTSD in logistic regression (OR = 2.164, p = 0.169), suggesting an exploratory trend.

Conclusions:

• Greater initial visual loss after ocular trauma was associated with higher PTSD symptom severity, though not statistically significant.
• Patients with severe visual impairment post-injury may require early psychological support.
• Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and guide clinical practice.