Major sight-threatening eye disorders and mental disorders

The purpose of this study was to: (a) investigate the comorbidities of major sight-threatening eye disorders with mental disorders, (b) investigate the associations and prevalence of reported comorbidities and (c) identify potential influencing factors. A systematic review of the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases was conducted from inception to 30 December 2023. Studies that presented only laboratory results or used non-representative sampling methods were excluded. Meta-analyses were performed using the inverse variance method with a random-effects model. A total of 67 studies were included in the analysis. The most prevalent comorbidities were diabetic retinopathy (DR) and depression (pooled prevalence of 30%) and DR and anxiety (pooled prevalence of 29%). Significant associations were found between glaucoma and depression (odds ratio [OR] = 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21-1.66), glaucoma and anxiety (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.22-3.66), glaucoma and schizophrenia (OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.28-1.50), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and depression (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.18-1.57), and DR and depression (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01-1.06). Income was identified as a significant contributing factor to the prevalence of comorbidity between glaucoma and depression. Major sight-threatening eye disorders were significantly associated with mental disorders, particularly depression and anxiety. The burden of comorbidity between major sight-threatening eye disorders and mental disorders is not optimistic and may be influenced by income disparities. Healthcare providers are encouraged to assess and manage potential comorbidities to optimize patient outcomes.