A Study of Comorbidity of Depression, Anxiety and Diabetes Mellitus

Background: The prevalence of depression and anxiety in diabetes is considerably higher than normal population and found to have a negative impact on diabetes. Objective: The present study aimed at assessing the prevalence of anxiety and depression among outpatients receiving treatment for diabetes. Materials and Methods: Ours was a cross-sectional study where data was collected from 100 consecutive patients receiving treatment from the outpatient department of a teaching hospital for diabetes mellitus. The socio-demographic details were collected with the help of a self-structured questionnaire. Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (H.D.R.S.) and Amritsar Depressive Inventory (A.D.I.) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (H.A.R.S.) were used to assess the presence and severity of depression and anxiety. The details regarding the diabetes included the duration of the condition, family history of diabetes, if any, and Body Mass Index (BMI). Results: The study sample consisted of 34 male and 66 female patients and their average age was 54.2 years. Most of the patients had mild depression, as indicated by an A.D.I. score of 8 to 13. Significant anxiety symptoms were seen in 30% of the patients. Most of the patients were having mild to moderate anxiety. Depression and anxiety was more prevalent in Type 2 diabetic patients in comparison to Type 1 diabetic patients. Conclusion: The comorbidity of depression, anxiety and diabetes mellitus is frequent. Depression and anxiety are more commonly associated with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus. These findings underscore the need to screen all diabetic patients for the presence of psychiatric disorders.