Anxiety and Depression in Cataract Surgery: A Pilot Study in the Elderly

Abstract

To assess anxiety induced by a planned cataract surgery and to evaluate the correlations of rated anxiety and depression with optical acuity pre- and postoperatively, 278 patients ages 65 years or older were tested. Patients were divided into two groups: first-eye and second-eye cataract surgery. Anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Hamilton's Rating Scales for Anxiety and Depression, respectively. Pre-operatively, first-eye patients showed significantly higher anxiety than second-eye patients (F_1,251 =75.39, p <.001). First-eye patients rated peak anxiety on the day of the surgery, while patients scheduled for second-eye cataract surgery presented no fluctuations in rated anxiety (F_1,251 =49.60, p <.001). There was no correlation of preoperative anxiety or depression with the outcome of surgery (F_1,251s = .83 and .58, respectively, p >.05). Postoperatively, anxiety and depression in patients without any improvement in their vision were rated significantly higher than in those presenting improved visual acuity after surgery (F_1,251 =566.17 and 300.25, respectively, p <.001).