Eye disease with threatened vision loss is associated with an increased incidence of suidica
Researchers have found an increased risk of suicide among people suffering from a disease with the threat of vision loss. This group of patients needs professional psychological support, especially in the first six months.Researchers from Jeju and Seoul Medical Universities wondered whether adult patients with vision-threatening eye disease are more likely to die by suicide compared to people without such a diagnosis. The results of the study are published in the journal Ophthalmology.
They analyzed 10 years of data from 13,205 people aged >40 years who committed suicide. Among them, 34% had a diagnosis of eye diseases threatening vision loss (glaucoma, exudative age-related yellow spot degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy). The incidence of suicide in this group was 69 per 100,000 population compared to 51 per 100,000 without such a diagnosis.
It was determined that the likelihood of suicide increased by an average of 33% when the threat of vision loss was identified. This risk increased most with diabetic retinopathy (40%) and least with glaucoma (9%). Complicating these diseases with severe visual impairment increased the risk of suicide by 49%. The highest incidence of suicide was observed between three and six months after diagnosis.