Strabismus in children associated with mental disorders: JAMA

USA: A new cross-sectional study conducted by Yoon H. Lee and team found that strabismus is associated with anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depressive disorder, but not drug use disorder. The findings of this study were published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology. 

Children with strabismus are known to have a poorer functional vision and a lower quality of life than children who do not have strabismus. As a result, the purpose of this study was to look at the relationship between strabismus and mental disorder in youngsters.

This cross-sectional study looked at claims data of the Optum Labs Data Warehouse which is a longitudinal de-identified commercial insurance claims database, from 12 005 189 individuals who were enrolled in the health plan between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2017. Eligibility requirements included being under the age of 19 at the time of strabismus diagnosis, being enrolled in the health plan between 2007 and 2018, and having at least one strabismus claim based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Children in the same database who had no eye illness codes other than refractive error served as controls. Demographic variables and claims of mental illness were compared.

The results of this study were as follow:

1. The adjusted odds ratios for the connection of mental disorders with strabismus among the 12 005 189 patients in the research were 2.01 for anxiety disorder, 1.83 for schizophrenia, 1.64 for bipolar disorder, 0.99 for substance use disorder, and 1.61 for depressive disorder.

2. There was a moderate connection between each form of strabismus and anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depressive disorder; odds ratios ranged from 1.23 for esotropia and bipolar disorder to 2.70 for exotropia and anxiety disorder.

In conclusion, from the findings of this study recognizing the existence of these correlations should stimulate mental illness screening and treatment for strabismus sufferers.

Reference:

Lee YH, Repka MX, Borlik MF, et al. Association of Strabismus With Mood Disorders, Schizophrenia, and Anxiety Disorders Among Children. JAMA Ophthalmol. Published online March 10, 2022. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.0137

Keywords: strabismus, schizophrenia, anxiety, mood disorder, bipolar, JAMA, depression, ophthalmology, psychiatry, mental disorder,