Yes, the eyes can offer clues to mental health conditions through subtle changes in movement, focus, and even physical characteristics, helping researchers understand conditions like schizophrenia, depression, autism, and bipolar disorder, though they cannot provide a definitive diagnosis on their own; instead, they reveal neural circuitry issues, like poor eye-tracking or reduced pupil dilation, that may signal underlying disorders.
Research suggests changes in retinal thickness might be linked to certain mental health conditions. For instance, some studies have found a thinner retina in people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
We have suggested that those with a bipolar disorder may, during manic/hypomanic states, evidence sparkling eyes, have dilated pupils and, albeit rarely, evidence iris colour changes – especially blackening.
Common signs and symptoms include:
Some say your eyes are the window to your soul. But eyes can show you issues with your overall health. An eye doctor can detect a host of health conditions during an exam just by noting changes in tissues, nerves and blood vessels. As a result, the importance of annual vision exams can't be emphasized enough.
“It's the only place in the body where, without surgery, we can look in and see veins, arteries, and a nerve (the optic nerve).” The eyes' transparency explains why common eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration can be detected early with regular eye exams.
During an eye test, an optician can identify a brain tumour by either noticing a swelling of the optic disc or seeing pressure on the optic nerve.
Symptoms
Many people experiencing psychosis lack awareness of their condition, a phenomenon called anosognosia that affects up to 98% of those with schizophrenia. Self-awareness during psychosis exists on a spectrum—some people have partial insight, others recognize symptoms only after episodes end.
Five key signs your brain might be in trouble include significant memory loss (forgetting important things or familiar routines), difficulty with everyday tasks, confusion about time/place, problems with language/communication, and noticeable personality or mood changes, such as increased irritability or loss of interest in hobbies, which signal potential cognitive decline or neurological issues.
Five key signs of bipolar disorder involve extreme mood shifts, including manic symptoms like inflated energy, reduced need for sleep, racing thoughts, impulsivity (spending, risky behavior), and irritability, alongside depressive symptoms such as profound sadness, loss of interest, fatigue, significant sleep/appetite changes, and suicidal thoughts, all lasting for extended periods and impacting daily life.
Glassy Eyes
One of the possible manifestations of depressed eyes is a glassy or glossy appearance. This might be due to frequent crying, lack of sleep, or the general apathy often associated with depression.
"Bipolar eyes" is a non-medical term used to describe changes in a person's eyes or gaze during a manic or hypomanic episode. These include changes in pupil size, the "brightness" or color of the eyes, and the way that a person may look or stare at people or objects.
Studies have suggested that different types of negative mental health status have different facial movements (54, 55) and the facial expressions associated with mental illness are also different from physical illness (56, 57).
Five key warning signs of mental illness include significant mood changes (extreme highs/lows, persistent sadness), withdrawal from friends/activities, major changes in sleep or eating habits, difficulty coping with daily problems or stress, and thoughts of self-harm or suicide, alongside other indicators like substance abuse, confusion, or changes in hygiene. These signs often represent a noticeable shift in behavior, functioning, and emotional state that impacts daily life.
Changes in Eye Contact:
People experiencing depression may also exhibit changes in eye contact. They might avoid looking others in the eye, which can be interpreted as a sign of low self-esteem or social withdrawal.
Insulinomas can present with an array of psychiatric symptoms, including confusion and bizarre behavior that can be falsely attributed to psychiatric illness. A pheochromocytoma is yet another rare hormone-producing tumor that characteristically produces episodic anxiety states but can present with psychosis.
Serious Mental Illness (SMI) refers to diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders causing severe functional impairment, substantially limiting major life activities like work, relationships, or self-care, and includes conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder, often presenting with symptoms like psychosis, severe mood changes, and disorganized behavior.
Some people may have greater self-awareness of their symptoms and recognize that their experiences are atypical. However, others may not be aware that the delusions or hallucinations they experience during a psychotic episode are not real.
A simple framework to intuitively understand what may constitute a mental illness is the 5Ds. Deviation, Duration, Distress, Dysfunction, and Danger.
If you feel you are having a nervous breakdown you may:
Symptoms may include:
Those diseases include age-related macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. Other common eye disorders include amblyopia and strabismus.
Early warning signs of a brain tumor often involve headaches (especially morning headaches), seizures, persistent nausea/vomiting, vision changes, and unexplained weakness or balance issues, alongside potential changes in personality, memory, or difficulty with speech, though symptoms vary greatly by tumor location and size, so any new, concerning neurological changes warrant a doctor's visit.
By examining your eyes in this way, your eye doctor can often detect conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arterial plaque, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, stroke, leukemia and many other conditions.