Psychological distress is associated with vision-related but not with generic quality of life in patients with visual field defects after cerebral lesions

Considerably diminished quality of life (QoL) is observed in patients with visual field defects after lesions affecting the visual pathway. But little is known to what extent vision- and health-related QoL impairments are associated with psychological distress. In 24 patients with chronic visual fie...

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Main Authors: Bernhard A. Sabel, Iris Mueller, Gabriele H. Franke, Carolin Gall
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi - Emerald Publishing 2012-07-01
Series:Mental Illness
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.pagepress.org/journals/index.php/mi/article/view/2656
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author Bernhard A. Sabel
Iris Mueller
Gabriele H. Franke
Carolin Gall
author_facet Bernhard A. Sabel
Iris Mueller
Gabriele H. Franke
Carolin Gall
author_sort Bernhard A. Sabel
collection DOAJ
description Considerably diminished quality of life (QoL) is observed in patients with visual field defects after lesions affecting the visual pathway. But little is known to what extent vision- and health-related QoL impairments are associated with psychological distress. In 24 patients with chronic visual field defects (mean age=56.17±12.36) the National Eye Institute-visual functioning questionnaire (NEI-VFQ) for vision-related QoL, the Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36) for generic QoL and the revised Symptom-Checklist (SCL- 90-R) were administered. Cases with clinically relevant SCL-90-R symptoms were defined. Demographic, QoL and visual field parameters were correlated with SCL-90-R scales. About 40% of the investigated patients met the crite- ria for the definition of psychiatric caseness. 8/12 NEI-VFQ scales correlated significantly with SCL-90-R phobic anxiety (r-range -0.41 to -0.64, P<0.05), 5/12 NEI-VFQ scales correlated with SCL-90-R interpersonal sensitivity (-0.43 to -0.50), and 3/12 with SCL-90-R depression (-0.51 to -0.57) and obsessive-compulsiveness (-0.41 to -0.43). In contrast, only 1/8 SF-36 scales correlated significantly with SCL-90-R depression, phobic anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity (-0.41 to -0.54). No substantial correlations were observed between visual field parameters and SCL-90-R scales. Significant correlations of SCL-90-R with NEI-VFQ but not with SF-36 suggest that self-rated psychological distress is the result of diminished vision- related QoL as a consequence of visual field loss. The extent of visual field loss itself did not influence the rating of psychological distress directly, since SCL-90-R symptoms were only reported when diminished vision-related QoL was present. Patients with reduced vision-related QoL due to persisting visual field defects should therefore be offered additional neuropsychological rehabilitation and supportive psychotherapeutic interventions even years after the lesion.
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spelling doaj.art-140af8491ac64658b27e0875f0e318a52023-01-02T23:56:39ZengHindawi - Emerald PublishingMental Illness2036-74572036-74652012-07-0142e12e1210.4081/mi.2012.e12Psychological distress is associated with vision-related but not with generic quality of life in patients with visual field defects after cerebral lesionsBernhard A. SabelIris MuellerGabriele H. FrankeCarolin GallConsiderably diminished quality of life (QoL) is observed in patients with visual field defects after lesions affecting the visual pathway. But little is known to what extent vision- and health-related QoL impairments are associated with psychological distress. In 24 patients with chronic visual field defects (mean age=56.17±12.36) the National Eye Institute-visual functioning questionnaire (NEI-VFQ) for vision-related QoL, the Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36) for generic QoL and the revised Symptom-Checklist (SCL- 90-R) were administered. Cases with clinically relevant SCL-90-R symptoms were defined. Demographic, QoL and visual field parameters were correlated with SCL-90-R scales. About 40% of the investigated patients met the crite- ria for the definition of psychiatric caseness. 8/12 NEI-VFQ scales correlated significantly with SCL-90-R phobic anxiety (r-range -0.41 to -0.64, P<0.05), 5/12 NEI-VFQ scales correlated with SCL-90-R interpersonal sensitivity (-0.43 to -0.50), and 3/12 with SCL-90-R depression (-0.51 to -0.57) and obsessive-compulsiveness (-0.41 to -0.43). In contrast, only 1/8 SF-36 scales correlated significantly with SCL-90-R depression, phobic anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity (-0.41 to -0.54). No substantial correlations were observed between visual field parameters and SCL-90-R scales. Significant correlations of SCL-90-R with NEI-VFQ but not with SF-36 suggest that self-rated psychological distress is the result of diminished vision- related QoL as a consequence of visual field loss. The extent of visual field loss itself did not influence the rating of psychological distress directly, since SCL-90-R symptoms were only reported when diminished vision-related QoL was present. Patients with reduced vision-related QoL due to persisting visual field defects should therefore be offered additional neuropsychological rehabilitation and supportive psychotherapeutic interventions even years after the lesion.http://www.pagepress.org/journals/index.php/mi/article/view/2656neuropsychological testing, phobic anxiety, psychological distress, Symptom-Checklist-90-revised, visual field defect, cerebral damage
spellingShingle Bernhard A. Sabel
Iris Mueller
Gabriele H. Franke
Carolin Gall
Psychological distress is associated with vision-related but not with generic quality of life in patients with visual field defects after cerebral lesions
Mental Illness
neuropsychological testing, phobic anxiety, psychological distress, Symptom-Checklist-90-revised, visual field defect, cerebral damage
title Psychological distress is associated with vision-related but not with generic quality of life in patients with visual field defects after cerebral lesions
title_full Psychological distress is associated with vision-related but not with generic quality of life in patients with visual field defects after cerebral lesions
title_fullStr Psychological distress is associated with vision-related but not with generic quality of life in patients with visual field defects after cerebral lesions
title_full_unstemmed Psychological distress is associated with vision-related but not with generic quality of life in patients with visual field defects after cerebral lesions
title_short Psychological distress is associated with vision-related but not with generic quality of life in patients with visual field defects after cerebral lesions
title_sort psychological distress is associated with vision related but not with generic quality of life in patients with visual field defects after cerebral lesions
topic neuropsychological testing, phobic anxiety, psychological distress, Symptom-Checklist-90-revised, visual field defect, cerebral damage
url http://www.pagepress.org/journals/index.php/mi/article/view/2656
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