Fatigue among visually impaired adults

Background: Previously conducted research suggests that fatigue is associated with chronic diseases, such as visual impairment. This study investigates the health care provider’s point of view on the prevalence and severity, potential causes, the impact of fatigue on the everyday life of patients and coping strategies. Method: Two focus groups (n1 = 8, n2 = 6) were formed. Members include professionals for physical and mental treatment of visually impaired patients who were invited to join a discussion guided by a semi-structured interview scheme. Transcripts have been analyzed via the method of categorization Results: Participants agreed upon the fact that visual impairments make the most parts of patients’ everyday life very challenging and consequently lead to a state of fatigue. Furthermore fatigue seems to have a negative effect on several dimensions of the patients’ lives, e.g. physical and social aspects. Also, effective and less effective coping strategies have been identified during the discussion sessions. Conclusion: The current study was able to approve the hypotheses of visual impairments causing fatigue and having a tremendous impact. Further, it provides insight into the prevalence, severity and coping strategies. This can be used for future research in several directions and to establish intervention programs.