Frequency of depression in diabetic patients in the family medicine

Depression often accompanies various physical illnesses.

Screening for unidentified depression in patients diagnosed with Diabetes mellitus.

a retrospective, descriptive study.

100 diabetic patients, 53% female and 47% male, age group 18-85. Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 questionnaire was used on a random sample of diabetic patients in two family medicine outpatient clinics in Health Centre Ilidza and Center, Sarajevo, in period February-May 2007. The cutoff score of > or = 1.75 was used. The occurrence of depression was analyzed with respect to the duration of Diabetes mellitus, type of treatment and average value of fasting blood glucose over the last six months.

36% of subjects scored positive for depression symptoms, 31% of subjects in the group having the illness up to one year, 80% in the group having the illness for 11-15 years. There is a statistically significant difference in depression positive score between the group of patients using insulin, and to the group using oral hypoglycemic therapy, 73% vs. 20% (p< 0.05). In the group with average value of fasting blood glucose < or = 7 mmol/l, 15% of the patients have a positive oepression score, versus 66% of them in the group with blood glucose levels of 13-15mmol/l.

The number of newly found depressions in diabetic patients increases with the duration of Diabetes mellitus and with higher levels of fasting blood glucose. A systematic screening by family doctors can help identify diabetes-related depression.