HEALTH + WELLNESS
KEEP AN EYE ON MENTAL HEALTH :
How poor vision affects our wellbeing
A NEW STUDY HAS REVEALED THE MENTAL TOLL OF POOR EYESIGHT , AS OVER HALF ( 55 %) OF ADULTS QUESTIONED IN SOUTH EAST ENGLAND STATE THAT HAVING POOR VISION CAN CAUSE ANXIETY – ONE OF THE HIGHEST FIGURES IN THE COUNTRY - AND 49 % FEEL IN A LOW MOOD IF THEY CANNOT SEE CLEARLY .
The new research involving over 2,000 British adults was conducted by Optegra Eye Clinic Maidstone ( www . optegra . com ), the specialist eye hospital group , and also revealed that due to poor vision :
• 56 % of people in South East England say they feel frustrated
• Just under half ( 49 %) feel less confident socially
• 32 % feel depressed sometimes , regularly , or all of the time
• 21 % say their confidence has been knocked
• Almost half ( 42 %) of adults feel that they are a burden on others at least some , if not all , of the time
• 16 % who wear glasses or contact lenses say it negatively impacts their quality of life
On a practical level , poor vision is also having an impact on daily life as it restricts activities which can boost wellbeing . One in 10 adults in South East England say they cannot drive due to vision which makes them feel less independent . Nearly a fifth ( 17 %) say they have had to stop a favourite activity or hobby , and 14 % find everyday tasks like cooking and shopping difficult due to poor sight .
For Alina Ahmed , 25 years old , her poor eyesight has had a huge impact on both her mental health and lifestyle . Having had to rely on glasses since the age of five , she says : “ The glasses correct my short-sighted vision , but they also serve another purpose – they align my eyes which have become lazy due to weak muscles . Without my glasses I have double vision . I was totally reliant on them to see which made me feel vulnerable and frustrated . Without them I am very limited in what I can do .”
Poor vision seems to particularly affect younger adults , aged 25 - 34 years , with 43 % nationally agreeing that they feel low if they can ’ t see clearly , 30 % saying they feel socially isolated and , worryingly ,
27 % saying they feel stressed regularly or all of the time .
Furthermore , over a third ( 36 %) in that age group say that poor vision negatively impacts their mental health and 38 % say poor vision knocks their confidence .
Responding to these findings , Optegra consultant ophthalmic surgeon Mr Alex Shortt , said : “ We often think of the practical implications or poor vision such as how it affects reading , watching television , driving , cooking and so on , which are very much flagged in this report ; but it is also interesting to see how much both mental health and wellbeing are affected .
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