Original article / research
Dry Eye Disease in Psychiatric Disorders: A Cross-sectional Study on Prevalence and its Impact on Sleep Quality and Quality of Life
VC05-VC11
Correspondence
Dr. Vigneshvar Chandrasekaran,
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry-607403, India.
E-mail: vigneshvarchandrasekaran@gmail.com
Introduction: A bidirectional relationship exists between Dry Eye Disease (DED) and mental health. Approximately, 23% of patients with mild DED have psychiatric co-morbidities, with higher risks in moderate and severe cases. DED also impacts sleep patterns and productivity, affecting Quality of Life (QoL).
Aim: To estimate the prevalence of DED among patients with mental disorders and its impact on sleep quality and QoL.
Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Ophthalmology in a tertiary care centre, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry, India from February 2021 to February 2022, involved four groups namely Group A1 {Patients with mental disorders and DED from Psychiatry Outpatient Department (OPD)} (n=61), Group A2 (DED patients with Mental disorders from ophthalmology OPD) (n=68), Group B (Patients with Mental disorders alone) (n=44) and Group C (patients with DED alone) (n=48). Assessments included the Clinical Global Impression Severity scale (CGI-S), Sleep Condition Index (SCI), QoL Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF), and clinical ocular tests like Tear Film Break-up Time (TBUT) and Schirmer’s test. Independent t-test was used to compare continuous variables with normal distribution whereas Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare continuous variables with non-normal distribution. Chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables. Spearman correlation was carried out to assess correlation between variables and predictive analysis was carried out using multiple logistic regression.
Results: The prevalence of DED among patients with psychiatric disorder was found to be 58.09%. Participants with comorbid psychiatric and DED (A1) had significantly lower QoL (Q-LES-Q-SF) and poorer sleep (SCI) compared to those with only psychiatric disorders (B), with most reporting poor or fair QoL (p<0.001). Though participants in A2 had more instances of eye disorders in family (p=0.002) compared to DED only participants (C), the TBUT and Schirmer’s test severity did not vary significantly between any of the groups.
Conclusion: DED is increasingly prevalent among patients with severe mental disorders, significantly affecting sleep quality and QoL. A multidisciplinary management approach involving timely screening and referral by ophthalmologists and psychiatrists could improve outcomes.