Risk factors for anxiety and depression in patients with glaucoma

AIM: To assess the risk factors for anxiety and depression in patients with glaucoma. METHODS: Anxiety and depression in 408 patients with glaucoma were evaluated using the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) questionnaire, which consists of two subscales, representing HADS-anxiety (HADS-A) and HADS-depression (HADS-D). To identify the risk factors for anxiety and depression, the stepwise and multiple linear regression analyses were carried out with the HADS-A and HADS-D subscores as dependent variables and demographic and clinical features as independent variables. RESULTS: A stepwise linear regression analysis revealed the significantly related factors to be age for HADS-A (β=-0.046, p=0.0007) and HADS-D (β=0.035, p=0.011) and the mean deviation of the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer 30-2 (HFA30-2) in the better eye for HADS-D (β=-0.095, p=0.0026). Based on multiple linear regression analyses, significant relationships were confirmed between age and the HADS-A subscore (β=-0.046, p=0.0008). Significant relationships were also confirmed between age (β=0.037, p=0.0077) or the mean deviation of HFA30-2 in the better eye (β=-0.094, p=0.0036) and the HADS-D subscore. CONCLUSION: A younger age was thus found to be a risk factor for anxiety, while an older age and increasing glaucoma severity were risk factors for depression in patients with glaucoma.