Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a prevalent eye disease among middle-aged and older adults. AMD leaves the patient with irreversible deteriorating vision, which profoundly impacts their daily lives and psychosocial well-being. Given the limited studies addressing the psychosocial needs of adults with AMD and, in particular, using an expressive arts-based intervention (EXABI) as an intervention, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of such an intervention in enhancing the psychosocial well-being of adults with AMD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study will employ a mixed-methods randomised controlled trial design. One hundred fifty-four participants with AMD will be recruited and randomised into either the EXABI or treatment-as-usual waitlist control group. Participants will respond to a battery of measurements regarding their psychosocial condition at four time points: baseline (T(0)), 2 months after baseline (postintervention, T(1)), 5 months after baseline (T(2)) and 8 months after baseline (T(3)). A subgroup of participants will also share their experiences through in-depth interviews at T(1) and T(3) to help further understand the mechanism and effect of the intervention. Quantitative data will be analysed by mixed-effects models and path analysis, whereas qualitative data will be analysed by adopting the thematic analysis approach. The two sets of data will be integrated to provide a comprehensive view of the effectiveness and mechanisms of the intervention. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has obtained ethical approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Hong Kong (Ref. no.: EA210606). All research procedures will be conducted upon receiving signed written consent forms from participants. The findings of the study will also be presented at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed academic journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05675150, prospectively registered.