High vision-related quality of life indices reduce the odds of depressive symptoms in aged care facilities. (2nd October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rees, Gwyneth; McCabe, Marita; Xie, Jing; Constantinou, Marios; Gan, Alfred; Holloway, Edith; Man, Ryan EK; Jackson, Jonathon; Fenwick, Eva K; Lamoureux, Ecosse
• Is Part Of: Aging & mental health. Volume 24:Number 10(2020)
• Page Start: 1596
• Page End: 1604
• Publication Date: 2020-10-02
• Subjects: Depression -- aged care -- quality of life -- emotional well-being -- vision impairment; Older people -- Mental health -- Periodicals; Geriatric psychiatry -- Periodicals; Older people -- Psychology -- Periodicals; Aging -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Aged -- psychology -- periodicals; Mental Health -- periodicals; Mental Health Services -- periodicals; Aging -- psychology -- periodicals; Aged, 80 and over -- psychology -- periodicals; 618.97689
• DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2019.1650889
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-7863

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: To examine the association between vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) and depressive symptoms in residents with vision impairment (VI) in aged care facilities. Methods: In this cross-sectional study using baseline data from a cluster-randomized controlled trial (ACTRN12615000587505) assessing the effectiveness of a novel eye care model, 186 English-speaking residents (mean age 84 years, SD[standard deviation] = 8.7; 33.9% male) with VI and moderate cognitive functioning or better were recruited from 38 facilities across Victoria, Australia. VRQoL was measured using Rasch-transformed scores from the 'Reading'; 'Mobility', and 'Emotional' scales of the Impact of Vision Impairment for Residential Care (IVI-RC) questionnaire. Outcomes were presence of depressive symptoms (binary score: Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia [CSDD] > 0 vs. CSDD = 0) and severity of depressive symptoms (continuous CSDD score; sample range 1-21). Independent associations with presence and severity of depressive symptoms were examined using zero-inflated logistic and linear multivariable models, respectively. Results: Of the 186 participants, n = 79 (42.5%), n = 94 (50.5%) and n = 13 (7%) reported no, mild (scores 1-7), and clinically significant depressive symptoms (score ≥8), respectively. Better vision-related Mobility (OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.95, p = 0.02) was associated with reduced odds of depressive symptoms. With every unit improvement in vision-related Reading ( β =-0.48; 95% CI: -0.94, -0.01, p = 0.04) and Emotional ( β =-0.56; 95% CI: -1.09, -0.02, p = 0.04), severity of depressive symptoms reduced, independent of sociodemographic and medical issues. Conclusion: Better VRQoL was independently associated with reduced depressive symptoms. Supporting older people in aged care to maintain optimal levels of vision-specific functioning, independence, and emotional well-being may protect their mental health.