Wales General Ophthalmic Services depression
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How do eye care practitioners approach depression in patients within Wales General Ophthalmic Services clinical episodes?
IRAS ID
357255
Contact name
Rebecca John
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Velindre NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
In October 2023, new ophthalmic regulations came into force in Wales. These regulations specify the responsibilities of Eye care Practitioners (ECPs) providing NHS optometric care in Wales. Included in these are the requirement to include a holistic element to the sight test that they perform. For example, all patients aged 16 and over must be asked whether they smoke, and if they do, whether they would like help to stop.
Depression is a mental health condition that causes persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest in activities that used to bring joy. It can affect daily life and is characterized by symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, low self-esteem, a negative outlook on the future, thoughts of death, changes in sleep and appetite, and ongoing fatigue. The World Health Organization identifies depression as a major cause of disability worldwide. In the UK, about 11.3% of people experience mild depressive symptoms, while 3.3% face severe symptoms, highlighting a significant public health issue.
The primary aim of this study is to explore NHS Wales ECPs current practice around identifying and responding to depression in patients. The secondary aim of this study is to determine how many ECPs routinely identify patients at risk of depression when performing low vision assessments, and the rate of detection. These findings will inform the longitudinal effect of training and policy change on ECP practice and will help inform the interventions required when extending the holistic support offered by optometrists to other conditions such as smoking cessation and diabetes risk identification.
REC name
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REC reference
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