The study of mental disorders in visually impaired people

The purpose of this review is to highlight the history of the study of mental characteristics in persons with eye pathology and visual impairment. In the period of the Ancient World and up to the XIV century, the knowledge of the human psyche passed through the prism of mystical and religious views on the essence of the human soul. The beginning of the application of the materialistic approach to the assessment of mental characteristics in the absence of vision can be considered the work of the French writer, philosopher and educator Denis Diderot. In his "Letters" he drew attention to the need to educate the blind, which became the impetus for the activities of future specialists. In the middle of the XIX century, active work began in the field of research on the psyche of the blind. The introspective description served as the basis for the beginning of the experimental study. There is a spontaneous release of typhlopsychology, which formed the theoretical basis for the further development of science. During the 20th century, a large amount of experimental data has been accumulated in the field of studying the psyche of the blind. Modern multicenter studies of the psychological characteristics of ophthalmic patients indicate a wide prevalence of mental disorders. Scientists are currently paying close attention to specific ophthalmological nosologies and their relationship with certain mental disorders. Research is being conducted to study potential ophthalmological markers for the development of mental disorders and to find ways to diagnose them instrumentally. Despite the long and difficult path of studying the characteristics of the psyche in visually impaired people, there is still a vast field for further research. Based on past knowledge, future developments will allow us to more accurately determine the relationship between eye pathology and mental disorders.