Diabetes, minor depression and health care utilization and expenditures: a retrospective database study

To estimate the prevalence of minor depression among US adults with diabetes, health care resource utilization, and expenditures by people with diabetes with and without minor depression.

Among adult 2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey respondents, diabetes was identified by diagnosis code and self-report. Depression was identified by diagnosis code plus > or = one antidepressant prescription. Odds of having depression was estimated in people with diabetes and the general population, adjusted for sociodemographic variables (e.g., age, sex, race/ethnicity). Multivariate regressions evaluated factors associated with utilization and log-transformed expenditures for ambulatory care, hospitalizations, emergency visits, and prescriptions.

In 2003, 1932 respondents had diabetes, 435/1932 had diabetes and minor depression. Adults with diabetes were more likely than the general population to have depression (adjusted OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.56, 2.09). People with diabetes with versus without comorbid depression were more likely to be women, have lower incomes and health status, and more diabetes complications (all p < 0.05). In unadjusted analyses, ambulatory care visits were higher for those with versus without depression (17.9 vs. 11.4, p = 0.04), as were prescriptions (60.7 vs. 38.1, p = 0.05). In adjusted analyses, depression was not associated with increased resource use or higher expenditures in any category. Increased number of comorbid conditions was associated with increased resource use in all categories, and increased expenditures for ambulatory care and prescriptions.

People with diabetes are twice as likely to have depression as the general population. Screening for and treatment of depression is warranted, as is additional research into a causal relationship between diabetes and depression.