Research progress on the correlation between ocular diseases and anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorder is a common emotional disorder.Ophthalmic diseases, which can cause ocular pain, discomfort, and irreversible visual impairment, not only lead to a deterioration in patients’ quality of life but also give rise to mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.Numerous studies have indicated that a substantial number of patients with eye diseases frequently exhibit anxiety symptoms, and the prevalence rate is notably higher compared to that of the general population.This relationship is bidirectional.On the one hand, factors associated with eye diseases, such as vision loss, changes in appearance, economic burden, and reduced quality of life, can trigger or exacerbate anxiety.On the other hand, anxiety can accelerate the onset and progression of certain eye diseases, such as dry eye, pseudo-myopia and glaucoma by influencing neurotransmitter function, the autonomic nervous system, and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis.The alleviation of eye conditions necessitates not only active treatment of the disease itself, but also maintaining a healthy psychological state.This review reviews the reciprocal relationship between various eye diseases, including dry eye, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration, and anxiety to more clearly elucidate their mutual influence, provide guidance for integrated psychological treatment in the clinical management of eye diseases and raise ophthalmologists’ awareness of the significance of mental health in disease treatment.