UC Berkeley

OBJECTIVE: Visual impairment (VI) has been associated with depression and anxiety. Although researchers have identified several relevant individual differences associated with risk for depression and anxiety, researchers have not considered the role of personal disability identity (PDI) in depression and anxiety for people with VI. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between two aspects of PDI, perceived self-worth and personal meaning, and depression and anxiety among people with VI. METHOD: Hierarchical linear regressions assessed the relative contribution of PDI and disability characteristics to anxiety and depression in an international sample of adults with VI (N = 390). RESULTS: Lower disability self-worth, but not lower personal meaning, was significantly associated with higher depression and anxiety, explaining more variance than demographic or disability-related factors. CONCLUSION: By introducing disability self-worth as a correlate of depression and anxiety in VI, study findings suggest that considering and cultivating PDI for people with VI may be useful for improving clinical outcomes.