Evaluation of the factors effect vision related quality of life and the level of depression patients in the patients with age related macular degeneration

Aim: To determine affect of AMD on Vision Related Qulity of Life (VRQOL) and depression level. In addition, to observe the factors related to the disease and the patient that may affect the quality of life and level of depression. Method: 54 patient with AMD followed up or new diognised in Opthalmology Clinic in Gaziantep University, had been included to this cross-sectional study. Questions in the NEI VFQ-25 and GDS-15 quastionnaire, were asked to the patients. The results of these two puestionnaire were eveluated according to the patient information and the disease results. Results: The lowest score in the VRQOL questionnaire scoring was obtained by the Near Activity subscale and the highest score was obtained by the Color Vision scale. The group with depression had statistically significant lower scores in all scales except Eye Pain, Color and Peripheral Vision and Visual Role Difficulty subscales. Statistically significant difference was not found in the scores and depression rates of the intravitreal injected group from the NEI VFQ-25 questionnaire (p>0,05). Visual acuity levels of female gender were obtained significantly lower (p = 0.01) and depression rates were significantly higher (p = 0.047). As age increases, the scores of the NEI VFQ-25 subscales are significantly lower in the subscales except for Eye Pain and Visual Related Dependency. The least affected subscales from AMD are Eye Pain, Peripheral and Color Vision but most affected subscale is Near Vision. Conclusion: VRQOL subscales were affected statistically significant in the depression group. The female gender is a predisposed factor for YBMD and depression.