The Mental Health of People With Visual Impairments and Related Interventions: A Scoping Review From 2016 to 2023

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this scoping review was to understand the extent and nature of recent literature on the mental health of people with visual impairments and their experiences with related nonpharmaceutical interventions. Methods: Two separate literature searches were conducted. The first, covering January 2016–August 2021, identified 1,130 potentially relevant papers; following deduplication, title and abstract checks, and full-text screening, 41 papers remained that met the inclusion criteria. The second search involved literature published from September 2021 to November 2023 and highlighted 718 papers, with this number reduced to nine following the deduplication, title and abstract checks, and full-text screening process. Results: Although there appears to be some movement toward increased incorporation of lived experience accounts in related research, such efforts remain overshadowed by more traditional approaches. Discussion: The presence of lived experience accounts being relevant to the holistic integrity of the literature has not been asserted by the included papers. Implications for Practitioners: Conscientious approaches to inclusiveness in research concerning the mental health of people with visual impairments, particularly co-production and participatory research methods, are encouraged.