Polypharmacy and the lack of oculo-visual complaints from those with mental illness and dual diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with mental illness (MI) and intellectual disability (ID) are characterized as dually diagnosed (DD). These individuals are known to have numerous systemic and oculo-visual anomalies. This comorbidity of conditions should elicit frequent oculo-visual complaints from these patients during the initial review of systems. A search of MedLine yielded one article that was published on oculo-visual symptomology/pain associated with MI and DD. This report appears to be the first to assess the frequency of these symptoms within these 2 unique populations.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all medical records for patients (N = 202) evaluated at the Neumann Association (NA) Developmental Disabilities Service of the Illinois Eye Institute was completed. Only the records of patients who had either MI or DD and who were prescribed antipsychotics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, or tranquilizers/anxiolytics were used for our analysis. Upon record review, 89.9% of MI and 59.4% of DD individuals met the above subject criteria. We determined the frequency of ocular anomalies, drugs taken, and complaints reported by patients during the initial review of systems.

RESULTS: The most common documented side effects for the targeted drug types were decreased or blurred vision (near or far), visual hallucinations, decreased accommodation, and eyelid/conjunctiva irregularities. In our sample, the most frequent ocular anomalies encountered were astigmatism (50% MI and 37.84% DD), myopia (60.71% MI and 62.16% DD), presbyopia (35.71% MI and 37.84%DD), and blepharitis (32.14% MI and 32.43%DD). Additionally, the most frequently encountered complaints were no complaints (45.16% MI and 46.84% DD), blurry vision (17.74% MI and 17.72% DD), and need new glasses (11.29% MI and 17.72% DD).

CONCLUSIONS: It has been established that MI and DD populations exhibit a higher incidence of oculo-visual anomalies (uncorrected refractive error, binocular vision anomalies, ocular pathology) than noted in the general population. They are also typically taking 1 or more neuropsychotropic medications that are frequently associated with undesirable visual side effects. Individuals with MI and DD should report numerous complaints associated with the medications they take and the oculo-visual anomalies they exhibit during the initial case history and the review of systems. The data from this study suggest that this is not the case and that only about 50% of those who should have complaints actually report them.