Bipolar Disorder and Depression patients had increased risk of retinal disease, finds study

A recent analysis published in the Eye journal found a significant connection between psychiatric disorders and retinal disease, highlighting the often-overlooked relationship between mental health and vision impairment.

The study followed a detailed examination of electronic health records (EHRs) from over 95 million individuals, explored how psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD) might influence the risk of developing retinal diseases and associated vision loss.

This study accessed data through a federated health research network, focusing on patients aged 50 to 89. Using diagnostic codes for psychiatric and retinal conditions, as well as vision impairment defined by blindness or vision loss, they matched patients using propensity score matching (PSM). This process ensured that psychiatric and control groups were balanced on critical health and demographic variables such as age, sex, race, ethnicity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia.

Among the 1,60,414 individuals with schizophrenia, the average age was 65. For the 3,91,440 with BD and 19,62,380 with MDD, the average ages were 64 and 67, respectively.

Schizophrenia was associated with a decreased likelihood of being diagnosed with retinal disease when compared to the general population with similar health profiles. Conversely, both BD and MDD were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of having a retinal disease diagnosis.

Moreover, across all three psychiatric conditions, individuals who were diagnosed with both a psychiatric disorder and a retinal disease were found to have a significantly higher risk of visual impairment when compared to those who had retinal disease but no psychiatric diagnosis.

The data suggest a complex interplay between mental and visual health. While retinal structural changes have been previously observed in individuals with psychiatric conditions, this study is one of the first to assess how these structural differences translate to clinical retinal disease and vision outcomes.

Overall, these findings highlight the important implications for integrated healthcare. Given the elevated risks, this research suggest that individuals with psychiatric diagnoses, particularly those with BD or MDD, may benefit from more frequent or targeted vision screening. With retinal and vision health now shown to be closely intertwined with psychiatric well-being, the research emphasized the need for a more holistic approach to patient care.

Source:

Chu, J., Shaia, J. K., Jeong, H., Singh, R. P., & Talcott, K. E. (2025). Risk of retinal disease and visual impairment in individuals with psychiatric disorders. Eye. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-025-03851-w