ISSN: 2578-5095
Authors: Rellini E*, Turco S, Silvestri V, Amore FM and Fortini S
Background: Low vision is one of the leading causes of disability induced by chronic eye diseases. Therefore, low vision can affect Quality Life because the progressive degenerative diseases produce a state of emotional uncertainty making existential planning different, it can produce feelings of inadequacy, lack of self-esteem, helplessness, loneliness or marginalization and loss of autonomy, leading to psychological and emotional isolation. As far as emotional aspects are concerned, in order to highlight the importance of quality of life, many studies showed the relationship between low vision and prevalence of depressive disorders. The National Eye Institute developed a questionnaire, the Visual Function Questionnaire NEI VFQ-25, to evaluate the subjective perception of the quality of life and has been proposed not only to ascertain the impact of low vision on a person’s quality of life, but also to evaluate the real effectiveness of the rehabilitation process. The primary intervention for people with progressive and irreversible vision impairment is the visual rehabilitation. Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate patients’ quality of life, measured by the NEI VFQ-25, before and after the multidisciplinary visual rehabilitation. Method: Low-vision assessment included: psychological assessment, administered the Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ), developed by The National Eye Institute (NEI), complete ophthalmological examination, low vision device training and at last the prescription of low-vision devices. Results: A statistically significant improvement was found in some areas of self-reported perception (VFQ25), on General vision, near activities and Peripheral vision, and in reading speed. Data for control group remained unchanged. Conclusion: Multidisciplinary low-vision intervention, that includes emotional support, could enhance the quality of life of subjects with central vision loss.
Keywords: Psychological Support; Quality of Life; Low Vision Rehabilitation
