Prevalence of Depression and Associated Risk Factors Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Depression is an important psychiatric comorbidity among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The coexistence of depression and diabetes may adversely influence treatment adherence, self-care practices, glycemic control, quality of life, development of complications, and health-care utilization. Identification of depression and its associated risk factors may therefore improve comprehensive diabetes management. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of depression among patients with T2DM and to identify sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with depression. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 adult patients with T2DM attending the outpatient and inpatient services of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Sociodemographic characteristics, duration of diabetes, treatment modality, comorbidities, diabetic complications, body mass index (BMI), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were recorded. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). A PHQ-9 score ≥10 was considered indicative of clinically significant depressive symptoms. Factors associated with depression were evaluated using appropriate statistical tests and multivariable logistic regression. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Illustrative results: The mean age of the participants was 55.4 ± 10.8 years, and 108 (54.0%) were male. Clinically significant depression was identified in 62 patients, giving a prevalence of 31.0%. Depression was significantly more frequent among females (39.1%), patients with diabetes duration ≥10 years (43.8%), those with HbA1c ≥8% (42.7%), patients receiving insulin (43.3%), and those with diabetic complications (45.3%). On multivariable analysis, female sex, longer duration of diabetes, poor glycemic control, and presence of diabetic complications remained independently associated with depression. Conclusion: Depression is common among individuals with T2DM and is particularly associated with poor glycemic control, longer disease duration, female sex, and diabetic complications. Routine depression screening and integration of psychological care into diabetes services may facilitate earlier recognition and comprehensive management.