Depression and diabetes

The comorbidity of mental and physical disorders is a major challenge for health care worldwide. Its prevalence is increasing and is likely to continue to grow due to the increase in life expectancy and a variety of other reasons. The comorbidity of depression and diabetes can be seen as a prototypical example of mental/physical comorbidity. The prevalence of both conditions is growing, and depression is twice as frequent in people with diabetes compared with those without diabetes. Health services are by and large inadequately prepared to deal with comorbid depression and diabetes, and the increasing specialization (and fragmentation) of medicine will probably make things worse. This paper reviews the epidemiology and risk factors of the comorbidity of depression and diabetes and describes areas that should be given attention in order to reduce problems arising as a result of the comorbidity of these two conditions.