Posters

Evaluation of anxiety in patients awaiting cataract surgery

Poster Details

First Author: A.Ben Youssef TUNISIA

Co Author(s): H. Zgolli   J. Sayadi   Z. Dekli   I. Zghal   L. Nacef        

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Anxiety disorders, as diverse as they are, are among the most common mental disorders. According to the World Health Organization, 21% of the world's population is affected by it. These disorders are even more frequent in patients with chronic or disabling conditions, particularly vision disorders. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety among patients awaiting surgery in order to determine its predictive factors and clinical impacts.

Setting:

Hedi Rais institute of Ophthalmology of Tunis. Department A.

Methods:

We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study involving 61 patients followed by consultations in department "A" of the "Hédi Raies Institute of Ophthalmology" in Tunis. Patients were examined between 7 to 30 days before surgery. Anxiety disorders were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD score).

Results:

Our population was on average 61.7 years old [21-88] with a sex ratio equal to 2.15. Only three subjects in our series had a psychiatric history (4.9%). Twenty-five percent of our patients were professionally active. Half of the patients had a primary school education and 19.5% were illiterate. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms was estimated to be 41.5%. A statistically significant relationship was noted between the patient's age and the prevalence of anxiety disorders (p<0.01). Indeed, the younger the patient, the more prone to anxiety he would be. It was also significantly more frequent in professionally active patients.

Conclusions:

Patients awaiting cataract surgery seem to develop more anxiety symptoms than the general population. This emphasizes also the particularity of the psychological background of the visually impaired. Thus, all these patients should benefit from specialized screening and follow-up. Adequate management might be of benefit to both the patient and the surgeon.

Financial Disclosure:

None