Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Psychiatry. Jul 19, 2026; 16(7): 118724
Published online Jul 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.118724
Published online Jul 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.118724
Letter to the Editor: Beyond retinal lesions: Social support provides critical protection from psychological distress in patients with diabetic retinopathy
Bin Lin, Wei Liang, Meng Xu, Dong-Kan Li, Department of Ophthalmology, Xiamen Eye Center and Eye Institute of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen 361000, Fujian Province, China
Bin Lin, Wei Liang, Meng Xu, Dong-Kan Li, Xiamen Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Fujian Key Laboratory of Corneal & Ocular Surface Diseases, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Corneal & Ocular Surface Diseases, Translational Medicine Institute of Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, Fujian Pro
Co-first authors: Bin Lin and Wei Liang.
Author contributions: Lin B, Liang W, Xu M and Li DK designed the study; Lin B and Liang W conducted literature review and drafted the manuscript and they contribute equally to this study as co-first authors; Xu M assisted with content revision and reference verification; Li DK conceptualized the study, supervised the writing process, and approved the final manuscript; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by Fujian Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 2024J011323.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this manuscript.
Corresponding author: Dong-Kan Li, MD, PhD, Department of Ophthalmology, Xiamen Eye Center and Eye Institute of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, No. 336 Xiahe Road, Xia
Received: January 12, 2026
Revised: January 27, 2026
Accepted: February 5, 2026
Published online: July 19, 2026
Processing time: 167 Days and 12.4 Hours
Revised: January 27, 2026
Accepted: February 5, 2026
Published online: July 19, 2026
Processing time: 167 Days and 12.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is closely linked to psychological distress, with social support acting as a key protective factor. This study proposes targeted strategies—including standardized assessments, stratified support systems, and enhanced perceived support—to integrate psychosocial care into DR management, highlighting the value of a biopsych