Rehabilitation can prevent depression from AMD
From the American Academy of Ophthalmology
This randomized, controlled trial finds that combining primary eye care, psychiatry, psychology, and rehabilitation can cut in half the risk of depression from AMD-related vision loss. Each of the 188 participants had mild depressive symptoms and was at risk for developing clinical depression, based on a nine-item depression subtest of the Patient Health Questionnaire. Following a prescription for low-vision devices, half of the subjects also received behavior activation from an occupational therapist who guided them on using the devices, on making changes around the home, increasing their social activities, and on setting manageable personal goals. Behavior activation reduced the risk of depression by 50 percent compared to controls who received only low-vision devices. Ophthalmology, July 2014