Abstract
Purpose :
Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness afflicting an estimated 60.5 million people worldwide. Further, there is a growing body of literature linking glaucoma with mental disorders. A prospective pilot feasibility study is conducted to investigate the effects of Sahaj Samadhi Meditation (SSM) on depression, anxiety, sleep quality, and community integration in patients with glaucoma.
Methods :
Twenty-eight participants with mild to severe glaucoma and glaucoma suspects over the age of 18 were recruited. Participants received either usual care or usual care with SSM. Participants in the SSM, a structured 4-day group received instructions for SSM and were asked to meditate regularly by themselves. Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were administered at baseline and week-24 follow-up. A response-feature analysis was conducted. Box plots of the individual regression slopes for participnats in the intervention and control were drawn. These slopes were analyzed using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney rank-sum test. STATA 14.0 was used to conduct statistical analysis.
Results :
Significant reduction in depression and improvement in sleep quality were seen in the SSM group compared to controls. Further, a reduction in anxiety symptoms was experienced in SSM group compared to controls. Differences in community integration and visual function quality of life were not significant between the two groups.
Conclusions :
SSM could improve depressive symptoms and sleep dysfunction in patients with glaucoma. SSM may reduce anxiety symptoms in patients with glaucoma. Future studies on meditation with bigger sample sizes and long-term follow-ups need to be conducted.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.