Abstract

Introduction: A significant number of people with diabetes suffer from depression. This can interfere with their ability to participate in self-care activities essential for good glycemic control such as diet control, physical activity, medication adherence, and self-monitoring of blood glucose. Certain specific diabetic symptoms and complications also predict depression. A strong body of evidence supports the association of depression with poor glycemic control; risk for diabetes complications and mortality. Objective: To find out the prevalence of depression in diabetes patients among outpatients and inpatients in a medical college teaching hospital In patient with diabetes-related symptoms and complications -to find out the determinants or predictors of depression Materials and Method: 100 Patients with diabetes including inpatients and outpatients at BGS GIMS Hospital were screened for depression with the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) along with a questionnaire to assess for any diabetes related symptoms and complications. The data was analysed to findout the prevalence of depression and to compare the frequency of diabetes related symptoms and complications among depressed and non depressed diabetic patients Results : 31% of diabetic tested positive for depression using PHQ9 screen. Other symptoms correlated with depression include symptoms related to poor diabetes control-polyuria, polydipsia ,fatigue and dizziness, painful peripheral neuropathy, End organ damage related to diabetes-kidney failure, heart failureand Disabilities related to diabetes-vision loss due to retinopathy, neurodeificits due to stroke and amputations due to diabetic foot. Interpretation and Conclusion : Approximately 1/3 of diabetic patients have depression. Symptoms due to poor diabetes control, painful neuropathy, end organ damage and disabilties due to diabetes were also common in depressed diabetics.

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