title: Mental health of people with retinitis pigmentosa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the mental health of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) with that of the general population of Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Online surveys were completed by patients registered with the KRPS (Korean Retinitis Pigmentosa Society), an online organization that promotes research on RP and provides advocacy and online and offline support and information for patients with RP. Control population was selected from the fourth round of the KNHANES (Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). One hundred eighty-seven patients with RP were matched with the control population using the propensity-score method to optimize comparative analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stress was reported in 51.9% of RP patients and 29.4% of controls (p < 0.001). Depressive mood of at least 2 weeks' duration in the previous year was reported by 34.8 and 17.1% of patients and controls, respectively (p < 0.001). Suicidal thoughts were reported by 38.5 and 12.9% of patients and controls, respectively (p < 0.001), although there was no significant difference in the number of suicide attempts between the groups (2.1 vs. 1.6%, p = 0.703). In multivariate analysis, disability rating was significantly associated with stress (adjusted odds ratio, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.24 to 0.88).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  People with RP had poorer mental health than the general population. Further investigations are warranted on the mental health of RP patients, and appropriate welfare services are needed to decrease the impact of mental illness in this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dong Wook
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Ah Reum
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Choong Hyung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jong Hyock
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jong Heon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Moo Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Soo Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Yoon
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Belong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hyun Ki
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D016017:Odds Ratio; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012174:Retinitis Pigmentosa / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies