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Why visually impaired older adults often do not receive mental health services: the patient’s perspective

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Abstract

Purpose

Older adults with a visual impairment are particularly vulnerable for increased depression and anxiety symptoms; however, they tend to underutilise mental health services. The present study aims to characterise the perceived need for and barriers to use mental health services in visually impaired older adults based on Andersen’s behavioural model.

Methods

A cross-sectional study in 871 visually impaired older adults (mean age 73 years) from outpatient low vision rehabilitation services was conducted. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to assess potential-related factors to perceived need for mental health services, measured with the Perceived Need for Care Questionnaire (PNCQ).

Results

About 35 % of the population had subthreshold depression and/or anxiety, and 13 % had a mood and/or anxiety disorder according to the DSM-IV. Almost 34 % of the participants with an actual disorder did not receive mental health services, even though 57 % perceived to be in need of these services. Participants who had more severe depression and/or anxiety, comorbid depression and anxiety, no history of major depressive disorder, a lower perceived health status and a younger age were more likely to be in need of mental health services. Barriers to receive these services were lack of knowledge and self-reliance.

Conclusions

Findings support the implementation of counselling methods, instead of medication, and patient empowerment to reduce an unmet need of mental health services in visually impaired older adults, for which extensive research is warranted.

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Abbreviations

PNCQ:

Perceived Need for Care Questionnaire

CES-D:

Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression

HADS-A:

Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale

MINI:

Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview

EQ5D:

EuroQol-5 Dimensions

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by ‘ZonMw InZicht’, the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development—InSight Society [Grant Number 60-0063598108]; and ‘Stichting Blindenhulp’, a Dutch independent foundation to support people with a visual impairment.

Conflict of interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical standard

The present study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the VU University Medical Centre (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) and the University Hospital Leuven (Belgium) and has, therefore, been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. All patients gave written consent to participate in the present study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, VU University Medical Centre, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Hilde P. A. van der Aa, Mirke Hoeben, Linda Rainey, Ger H. M. B. van Rens, Hilde L. Vreeken & Ruth M. A. van Nispen

  2. EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research (EMGO+), VU University Medical Centre, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Hilde P. A. van der Aa, Mirke Hoeben, Linda Rainey, Ger H. M. B. van Rens, Hilde L. Vreeken & Ruth M. A. van Nispen

  3. Department of Ophthalmology, Elkerliek Hospital, Wesselmanlaan 25, 5707 HA, Helmond, The Netherlands

    Ger H. M. B. van Rens

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  1. Hilde P. A. van der Aa
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  2. Mirke Hoeben
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  3. Linda Rainey
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  4. Ger H. M. B. van Rens
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  5. Hilde L. Vreeken
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Correspondence to Hilde P. A. van der Aa.

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van der Aa, H.P.A., Hoeben, M., Rainey, L. et al. Why visually impaired older adults often do not receive mental health services: the patient’s perspective. Qual Life Res 24, 969–978 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-014-0835-0

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