Depression treatment and its impact upon the quality of life in patients with diabetes type 2 - the Croatian study.
OBJECTIVE
Depression is prevalent in patients with type 2 diabetes and affects quality of life. The prevalence of depression in the sample of Croatian patients with diabetes is 32.2%. The main aim of the investigation was to evaluate the effect of antidepressant treatment on quality of life and metabolic control in depressed diabetic patients.


METHODS
In the sample we randomized 60 diabetic outpatients with optimally controlled diabetes and with depression. The efficacy of 50 mg sertraline per day treatment was tested by the MADRAS questionnaire in a 24-week period, where the patients controlled themselves. Changes in the quality of life as the consequences of treatment of depression were tested by the QLSQ questionnaire for the quality of life follow-up.


RESULTS
The MADRAS scale results, measuring the changes in the degree of depression, showed substantial improvement of condition throughout the whole treatment. The first eight weeks of treatment presented statistically high significance in examinees in all the groups of chronic somatic diseases. The QLSQ scale results for measuring the quality of life showed marked improvement. Statistically significant changes occurred during the first eight weeks of treatment. Two patients withdrew their consent before starting medication and 13 dropped out later in the study. Treatment of depression with sertraline in chronic somatic patients did not induce changes in the HbA1c.


CONCLUSIONS
that the prevalence of depression in patients with somatic diseases is several times higher than in general population. Treatment of depression with antidepressants from the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (sertraline) causes improvement of depressive symptoms and increases the quality of life in diabetic patients. Treatment of depression has no impact upon the values control parameters in these patients.
Filipcić
Igor
I
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. igor.filipcic@zg.t-com.hr
Margetić
Branimir
B
Simunović
Ivona
I
Jakovljević
Miro
M
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D017523:Croatia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D020280:Sertraline / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D020280:Sertraline; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human