Psychological Experience of Clients Diagnosed With Glaucoma in Some Selected Clinics in Accra

Abstract

This study examined the prevalence of psychosocial problems among persons living with glaucoma and also examined whether their socio-demographic characteristics significantly affect their levels of psychosocial distress. One hundred (100) patients with glaucoma were selected from two eye clinic in Accra as the sample for the study. The patients were administered questionnaires that measured their levels of depression, anxiety, stress and social distress associated with living glaucoma. The cross-sectional survey design was used and descriptive statistics such as percentages and inferential statistics such as One-Way ANOVA, independent t-test and Pearson correlation were used for the data analysis. Results from the analysis showed that 99% of the patients reported mild to extremely severe depression with the most reported case being moderate depression (55%) followed by severe depression (34%). Only 1% of the sample reported normal depression levels. It was also observed from the analysis that 75% of the patients reported mild to extremely severe anxiety levels. The most reported case is the moderate anxiety (31%) followed by mild anxiety (20%). However, 25% of the glaucoma patients reported normal anxiety levels. On stress levels, 45% of glaucoma patients sampled for the study reported mild to severe stress levels with the most reported case is mild stress (20%) followed by moderate stress levels (16%). However, 55% of glaucoma patients reported normal stress levels. Further analysis showed that female glaucoma patients reported higher depression, anxiety and stress levels than male glaucoma patients, younger glaucoma patients reported higher depression, anxiety and stress levels than older glaucoma patients. However, no statistically significant differences exist among Glaucoma patients who are Employed, Unemployed and Self-employed in their depression and anxiety levels but differed significantly on their stress levels. No statistically significant differences exist among Glaucoma patients who are Single, Married, Widowed and Divorced in their depression and anxiety levels but differed significantly on their stress levels. Additionally, there is a significant positive relationship between patients‟ social distress and emotional distress (DASS). It is concluded that there is high level of psychosocial distress among patients with glaucoma with patients‟ age, sex and marital status significantly affecting their psychosocial distress and therefore, psychosocial care should be included in the healthcare of these patients.