[Depression, anxiety and anger in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.]

The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of negative emotions such as depression, anxiety and anger on clinical expression of type 1 diabetes, also assessing possible gender differences.

75 subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus afferent to Diabetology Unit of the University Hospital in Messina underwent the following psychodiagnostic tests: Hamilton Rating Scale For Depression (HDRS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory form Y (STAI-Y), State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2). Continuous data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation, and the comparison between groups was performed using T Student test; the data not continuous were expressed as a percentage and the differences between groups were evaluated using Chi-square test. We considered the results for values of p<0.05.

The mean age of 75 subjects (49.3% males) was 41.0±11.4 years, age of disease onset was 21.1 ± 11.8 years and mean duration of disease was 19.9±11.9 years; 30.7% of subjects were treated with CSII (Subcutaneus Insulin Infusion). Mild levels of depression (HDRS= 10.71±7.9) and anxiety (STAI-Y= 52.37±6.11) were found, whereas STAXI-2 subscales scores were within the normal range. Statistical analysis did not show significant gender differences.

Our results, according to data from literature, confirm the association between negative emotions, particularly anxiety, and diabetes. No gender differences were found.

Our results suggest the importance of investigating the association between diabetes and negative emotional states and the psychological and psychopathological dimensions which may have a potential role in the therapeutic management of diabetes.