Psychiatric evaluation patients with uveitis

Objective : In this research, it is aimed to study dealing with depression, anxiety, alexithymia and stress of people who are uveitis from the aspect of psychiatry. Method: In this study, study universe consisted of 80 people having uveitis, and 80 people entering to the hospital with complaints of refractive error, having no other sight problem, being at the same age level were included as control group. Following their examination at clinic, semi-constructed sociodemographic verse form was filled in the psychiatry clinic. Patients were taken to the phychiatric interview in accordance with DSM-5 diagnosis criteria. Afterward, symptom screening list (SCL-90-R), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression- 17 point (HAM-D), Hamilton Rating Scales for Anxiety (HAM-A), 20 point Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), State-Trait Anxiety Investigation (STAI-I, STAI-II), and Scale of Coping with Stress (SCS) were applied. Findings: Uveitis patient group's scores of HAM-D, HAM-A (HAM-A Total, HAM-A Psychic, HAM-A Somatic), TAS-20 (TAS-20 Total, TAS-1, TAS-2, TAS-3), STAI-1 and STAI-2, SCL-90-R brief symptom level and SCL-90-R sub-scales mean scores were naturally higher than control group's scores (p<0.05). After the last clinic interview, while 72.5% of patient group were considering reason of last attack as stress, 27.5% of patients told that there was no connection between last attack of uveitis and stress. Whereas mean scores of helpless and submissive approach for coping with stress in the patient group were considerably found higher than control group, mean scores of optimistic approach in the control group were naturally higher than patient group (p<0.05). Discussion and Conclusion: We have found that Uveitis patients' anxiety and alexithymia levels are considerably high, that they are more alexithymic, that they have helpless and submissive approach for coping with stress. In the examination and treatment processes, considering psychiatric aspect of uveitis patients will be more helpful for optimal treatment and care. Keywords: Uveitis, depression, anxiety, alexithymia, stres, the ways of coping stress