Relationship between Depression and Treatment Satisfaction among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND: Depression has been shown to adversely affect glycemic control. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between depression and treatment satisfaction in patients with diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Baseline data was collected on 545 patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes enrolled in a study that examined the effectiveness of diabetes nurse case managers. Depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) questionnaire, and treatment satisfaction, using the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ). RESULTS: The majority of participants (59%) were female, with a high percentage (41%) of Hispanic/Latino participants with a mean HbA1C of 8.4%. The prevalence of depression in this population was 35.6%. High CES-D scores were associated with elevated levels of HbA1C and LDL cholesterol (p<0.001). The relationship between depression and treatment satisfaction was significant (p<0.001), indicating that as depression increases, treatment satisfaction decreases. DISCUSSION: We identified a significant relationship between depression and treatment satisfaction in this group of poorly controlled type 2 diabetes patients. Although causation cannot be determined, it is possible that patients who are depressed are less likely to be satisfied with their treatment. This could lead to decreased patient adherence, ultimately resulting in poor glycemic control.