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Visual impairment in persons with psychotic disorder

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Abstract

Background

Persons with psychotic disorder may have poorer visual acuity (VA). The aim of the study is to investigate in a general population the prevalence of impaired habitual VA and self-reported difficulties in vision among persons with different psychotic disorders.

Method

A nationally representative sample of 6,663 persons aged 30 or older whose binocular VA for distance and for near vision was measured with current spectacles, if any. Diagnostic assessment of DSM-IV psychotic disorders used both SCID interview and case note data. Life-time ever diagnoses of psychotic disorders were classified into schizophrenia, other non-affective psychotic disorders and affective psychoses.

Results

After adjusting for age and sex, schizophrenia was associated with significantly increased odds of having visual impairment for distance (OR 5.04, P < 0.0001) and for near vision (OR 6.22, P < 0.0001), while other psychotic disorders were not. Self-reported problems in VA were more common in persons with schizophrenia and other non-affective psychotic disorders than in the remaining study sample. Only 43.9% of persons with schizophrenia, compared with 69.7% in the total sample (χ2 = 13.79, d.f. 1, P = 0.0002), had had their vision examined during the 5 years before the VA measurement.

Conclusions

Because persons with schizophrenia attend vision examinations substantially less frequently than others, and their vision is notably weaker, regular ocular evaluations should be included in physical health monitoring in psychotic disorders.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by grants from the Stanley Medical Research Institute (Dr. Suvisaari), the Academy of Finland (Dr. Lönnqvist), the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation (Dr. Suvisaari) and the Finnish Eye Foundation (Silmäsäätiö) (Dr. Laitinen).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300, Helsinki, Finland

    Satu Viertiö, Jonna Perälä, Samuli I. Saarni, Jouko Lönnqvist & Jaana Suvisaari

  2. Dept. of Health and Functional Capacity, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland

    Arja Laitinen & Seppo Koskinen

  3. Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Jouko Lönnqvist

  4. Dept. of Social Psychiatry, Tampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland

    Jaana Suvisaari

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  1. Satu Viertiö
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  2. Arja Laitinen
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  3. Jonna Perälä
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  4. Samuli I. Saarni
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Correspondence to Satu Viertiö.

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Viertiö, S., Laitinen, A., Perälä, J. et al. Visual impairment in persons with psychotic disorder. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 42, 902–908 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0252-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0252-6

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