Prevalence of anxiety and depression among children of 3-17 years old with and without visual impairments in United States: An analysis of 2018-2019 NSCH data

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of anxiety and depression and mental health treatment among US youth (aged 3-17 years) with and without VI, based on the 2018-2019 NSCH data. This study focused on children (aged 3-17 years) with and without VIs from the 2018 to 2019 NSCH. Accounting for the NSCH sampling plan, Complex Samples was used to estimate the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and treatment for mental health disorders among children aged 3-17 years with and without VIs. Chi-square tests based on raw sample size of the estimated proportions The overall anxiety prevalence for children with VIs was about 13% (p < .001) higher than those without VIs. Depression prevalence among children with VIs was about 10% (p < .001) higher than those without VIs. Children with VIs had more than 2x higher anxiety (19.9% vs 6.9%), and more than 4x higher depression prevalence (13% vs 3%) compared to children without VIs. These findings help identify children with VIs as a population subgroup who is at risk for experiencing these mental health disorders, and reinforce the need for research on the etiology, development, and consequences of mental health disorders for this population.