The emotional impact of restoring sight (EIRS)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The emotional impact of restoring sight (EIRS): well-being and mental health in children and adolescents receiving sight restoring therapy for eye disease
IRAS ID
356506
Contact name
Michael Crossland
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
ISRCTN16721218 , ISRCTN Number; Z6364106/2025/03/93, UCL Data protection registration number
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 2 months, 31 days
Research summary
More treatment options than ever before are available for young people with vision impairment, but very little is known about the impact of these sight restoration therapies on well-being and mental health.
In adults, sight restoration is often associated with depression and a reduction in mental well-being.
In this study we will used mixed qualitative and quantitative research methods to fully understand the wellbeing and mental health of adolescents undergoing sight restoration therapy and will develop clinical guidelines for the psychological support of young people receiving this treatment.
We will recruit children and adolescents (age 10-20) with vision impairment who are receiving treatment expected to improve their vision. We will assess them each on five occasions: one month before their treatment, then 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment. At each point, they will we will ask them to complete standardised age-appropriate questionnaire instruments to assess their well-being, depression and
anxiety, sleep, and participation. Participants and their parent(s)/carer(s) will also complete qualitative interviews to provide more detail on their expectations and experiences of the treatment and its impact on their life. At the last time point they will be asked to suggest interventions which may have helped them pre- and post- treatment (‘what I wish I knew then’).Each visit will take less than 30 minutes to complete and we will provide gift vouchers to participants to thank them for taking part. The assessments will be performed face-to-face or on an online platform, at a time convenient to the participants.
For the first time, we will measure the impact of sight restoration therapy on the well-being and mental health of young people. We will develop guidelines for the counselling and support of young people undergoing sight restoration therapy which will maximise the psychological benefit from this treatment.
REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/LO/0718
Date of REC Opinion
20 Oct 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion