Author(s): Norouzi Z, Kaviani M, Tarrahi M, Jariani M, Abdollahian M, Almasian M and Sheikhi N
Background: Diabetes is a chronic illness requiring continuous medical care. Depression is comorbid with diabetes and is associated with poorer glycemic control, and increased complications.
Objectives: The main aim was to assess the prevalence of depression among patients with diabetes mellitus type II to find a correlation between age, gender, HbA1C level, duration of time since the diagnosis of diabetes, number of admissions, methods of controlling diabetes, place of residence, smoking, comorbidities, and educational levels.
Materials and Methods: 169 diabetic patients participated. The methods of data collection included the Beck questionnaire Inventory and an oral interview. Then other data were obtained and were analyzed using SPSS 21.
Results: 130 patients (76.9%) were depressed (25.38% mild, 55.38% moderate, 19.23% severe). Only gender had a relationship with depression, and depression was higher in the females (P=0.041). 59.17% of the patients were illiterate and only 5.91% were academically educated, 94% had other comorbidities, and 60.94% had uncontrolled diabetes and HbA1C higher than 8.
Conclusions: Depression has high prevalence among diabetic patients, and it is affected only by gender. The control of diabetes among them is very poor, and most of them have other comorbidities.
