Medical and socio-demographic determinants of depressive disorders in diabetic patients

Diabetes is a civilisation disease creating a serious challenge for public health. In Poland, approximately 2 million people suffer from diabetes, of which about 25% are unaware of their illness. A considerable part of persons with diabetes experience complications related with the disease.

The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between elements of the state of health and socio-demographic characteristics of diabetic patients treated in the Diabetes Clinic at the Institute of Rural Health (IMW) in Lublin, eastern Poland, and the occurrence of depressive symptoms in these patients.

The study was conducted in 2017-2018 among patients treated in the Diabetes Clinic at the Institute of Rural Health in Lublin, by the method of a diagnostic survey using the Beck's Depression Inventory and an author-constructed questionnaire, as well as data from the patients' medical records. The study included 314 patients from the Diabetes Clinic who expressed their informed consent to participate in the research.

The study showed that diabetes is a disease which predisposes for the occurrence of depression. The occurrence of depressive symptoms of various degrees of intensity was confirmed in more than a half of the examined patients. Among the factors which exerted a significant effect on the occurrence of depressive symptoms were: diabetic neuropathy, type 2 diabetes, high BMI value, lack of occupational activity, poor material standard, and the need to obtain assistance in daily functioning due to the fact of being ill with diabetes.

It is necessary to implement routinely performed examinations into the diagnostic-therapeutic process to assess the state of psychological health of diabetic patients, which would allow sufficiently early application of appropriate psychological or psychiatric intervention.