Prevalence of depression and its effect on disability in patients with age-related macular degeneration.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate depression in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and study the relationships among depression, visual acuity, and disability.


METHODS
It was a cross-sectional study with consecutive sampling (n = 53) of patients with AMD aged 50 years and above attending the retina clinic of a tertiary care hospital in North India. Depression, general disability and vision-specific disability were assessed in subjects meeting selection criteria. Assessments were done using the fourth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (DSM- IV) Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis -I Disorders, Clinical Version (SCID-CV), World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule-II (WHODAS-II) and Daily Living Tasks dependent on Vision scale (DLTV). Non-parametric correlation analyses and regression analyses were performed.


RESULTS
Out of 53 participants, 26.4% (n = 14) met DSM-IV criteria for the diagnosis of depressive disorder. Depressed patients had significantly greater levels of general and vision-specific disability than non-depressed patients. General disability was predicted better by depression and vision-specific disability than by visual acuity.


CONCLUSIONS
Depression is a major concern in patients with AMD and contributes more to disability than visual impairment.
Banerjee
Anindya
A
Department of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India.
Kumar
Suresh
S
Kulhara
Parmanand
P
Gupta
Amod
A
D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity