A Descriptive Study on the Mental Health State of the Visually Impaired in Institutions in Metro Manila

Abstract

There is very little research about the visually impaired community here in the Philippines. This paper analyzes the Mental Health State of the Visually Impaired in the different institutions that cater to them in Metro Manila. To answer this, a sequential explanatory research design was used in the study. The Mental Health Inventory by Veit and Ware was used in determining the mental health state of the visually impaired and interviews were conducted to provide further insight into their mental health. 63 respondents participated in this study and 2 of them were interviewed. The quantitative results showed that most of the time the visually impaired have a healthy mental health state. However, their feelings of anxiety and emotional stability are the things that bother them the most on a daily basis. The qualitative results showed that when they were in the early onset of their visual impairment they were depressed. They were anxious at first but as soon as they adapted to their condition they became more optimistic. Factors such as friends, employment, faith, and the acceptance of their visual impairment made them have a positive outlook in life wherein everything has a purpose even their visual impairment. Further research is encouraged in this field and including the visually impaired who are not housed in institutions could help provide a better understanding of the visually impaired community.