• All News
• Consumer
• Pro
• New Drugs
• Pipeline
• Clinical Trials
• FDA Alerts

Drop in Mental Health Scores Seen With Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Diagnosis

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on June 9, 2025.

MONDAY, June 9, 2025 -- Diagnosis of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is associated with a reduction in mental health scores, according to a study published online June 5 in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Mae O. Gordon, Ph.D., from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and colleagues conducted a post-hoc analysis of prospective data from the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS) phase 1 and 2 among all participants with ocular hypertension to examine whether mental health status as assessed by the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (VFQ) decreases after diagnosis of POAG. Participants completed a VFQ within two years before and within two years after POAG diagnosis. Controls were propensity-matched participants with ocular hypertension who did not develop POAG during the same period.

Fifty participants developed POAG and met the criteria for inclusion; they were matched to 100 OHTS control participants who did not develop POAG. The researchers found that the mean pre-POAG and post-POAG VFQ mental health scores were 94.5 and 88.0, respectively, among participants who developed POAG, for a mean change of −6.5. The mean preperiod and postperiod VFQ mental health scores in the matched control group were 93.3 and 92.6, respectively, for a mean change of −0.7. The mean difference in pre- and post-VFQ mental health scores was −5.8 between the POAG and control groups.

"As advances in technology enable earlier diagnosis of POAG, the impact of POAG diagnosis itself on mental health becomes increasingly relevant," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted June 2025

More news resources

• FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
• Daily MedNews
• News for Health Professionals
• New Drug Approvals
• New Drug Applications
• Drug Shortages
• Clinical Trial Results
• Generic Drug Approvals

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.