Purpose:
Glaucoma, like depression, is a chronic and progressive disorder more prevalent among the aged. Previous studies have tried to demonstrate an association between the two utilizing DSM–IV criteria. This study uses different instruments to diagnose depression in patients with glaucoma sub–types not previously reported in the literature.
Methods:
The Zung Self–Rating Depression scale (ZSDS), the Recent Life Changes Questionnaire (RLCQ) and a psychiatric semi–structured interview including an MMSE (mini–mental status exam) were used to diagnose patients with depression. Study subjects were recruited from a glaucoma practice (n=67) between June 20, 2000 and June 20, 2001, and included patients with the following: normal tension glaucoma (NTG, 23.8%), primary open angle glaucoma (POAG, 20.9%) glaucoma suspects (GS, 32.8%), and normal subjects (controls 19.4%).
Results:
Percentages of depressed patients with glaucoma sub–types did not differ significantly from the corresponding percentages for the control patients (p = 0.192, CI 95%). There was no statistical difference between glaucoma suspects and NTG and POAG subjects combined (p = 1.000, CI 95%).
Conclusions:
Patients with glaucoma sub–types do not report being more depressed than control patients as measured by the ZSDS, RLCQ and the semi–structured psychiatric interview. There is no statistically significant difference in the proportions of depressed people across all categories (p=0.45). Taken together we conclude that there is no significant association between glaucoma and depression in this study.
Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence • clinical research methodology • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: biostatistics/epidemiology methodology