[Nfbk] Visual Quality of Life???

[Kevin Pearl]

Study: Emotional support groups boost visual quality of life.
A facilitated peer group emotional support service significantly improved visual quality of life for those with vision impairment, a study found.

The study, recently published in Optometry & Vision Science, included 29 individuals with vision impairments that affected quality of life, split into groups of up to six that were facilitated by trained counselors. The VCM1 (Vision Quality of Life Core Measure) instrument was administered to participants at start of service, end of service and 6 months after completion.

For the group as a whole, visual quality of life significantly improved between the beginning of the service and the end, but was no better than at the start 6 months later. 

However, those with poorer initial visual quality of life showed significantly greater improvements after 6 months than those with higher initial visual quality of life (P = .008). The items cited as becoming and remaining easier were "feeling lonely or isolated due to eyesight," "feeling sad or low due to eyesight" and "feeling worried about general safety outside the home."

Different interventions may be needed for those with initially good visual quality of life and to improve other aspects of quality of life not influenced by the service, the author, Kezia Latham, said in the study.

LINK TO THE ARTICLE
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