VISP Study: Visual Impairment after Stroke investigating Psychological difficulty

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide, often resulting in visual impairment (VI) affecting up to 60% of survivors. Both stroke and VI are independently associated with psychological difficulties, yet the prevalence and predictors of anxiety and depression in stroke survivors with VI remain underexplored. This study aimed to 1) estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression in this population, 2) examine associations between psychological outcomes, resilience and vision-related quality of life (VR-QoL) and 3) assess whether a new VI-specific patient-reported outcome measure (PROM), the BIVI-IQ, can indicate potential psychological difficulties. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with adults (≥18 years) diagnosed with post-stroke VI, recruited from six NHS Trusts. Participants completed three PROMs: HADS (anxiety and depression), CD-RISC-25 (resilience), and BIVI-IQ (VR-QoL). Demographics, medical history, stroke and VI-related details were extracted from clinical records. Results: Of 101 participants recruited, 92 returned all PROMs. Probable anxiety was observed in 15.2% (HADS-A ≥11), and probable depression in 14.1% (HADS-D ≥11). Resilience showed a strong negative association with anxiety (ρ=–0.61, p