Psychological Distress Associated With Suicidal Ideation Among Glaucoma Patients Attending at Tertiary Eye Care Clinic, Gondar, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Introduction: Suicide is defined as the deliberate taking of one's own life with either implicit or explicit proof; however, it can also refer to the contemplation or actualization of suicide. Suicide is a mental illness with several contributing factors. It is frequently linked to sex, age, health problems, substance misuse, and traumatic life experiences.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of suicide thought and attempts among glaucoma patients and its contributing factors in Gondar, Ethiopia, 2022.

Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted on 422 glaucoma patients at the Tertiary Eye Care Clinic, University of Gondar Comprehensive and Specialized Hospital. Suicidal ideation and attempts were assessed using the suicidality module of the World Mental Health Survey Initiative version of the World Health Organization's Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to identify factors associated with suicidal ideation and attempts. The variables with a p-value less than 0.05 and a 95% CI were considered statistically significant.

Results: The overall prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt was 6.4% with a 95% CI of 4.3-9.2% and 2.4% with a 95% CI of 1.1-4.3%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, severe psychological distress, moderate psychological distress, mild psychological distress, and current substance use were identified as risk factors for suicidal ideation, whereas living alone, co-morbid chronic medical disease, and ever-present substance use were identified as risk factors for suicidal attempts.

Conclusion: Based on this study finding, the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts was high among glaucoma patients. This study may provide further information to pay much attention to the physical health care of patients with glaucoma. More representative samples, or rather, a cross-sectional study design, should be used in future studies aiming for more precise data.