Depression among patients with diabetes mellitus in North India evaluated using patient health questionnaire-9.
BACKGROUND
Depression is common among diabetes, and is associated with poor outcomes. However, the data on this important relationship are limited from India.


OBJECTIVE
The aim was to estimate the prevalence of depression in patients with diabetes and to determine the association of depression with age, sex, and other related parameters.


METHODS
The study was cross-sectional carried out in endocrinology clinic of tertiary care hospital in North India. Cases were patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) above 30 years of age. Depression was assessed using the patient health questionairre-9 (PHQ-9). The relationship with sociodemographic profile, duration of diabetes, hypertension and microvascular complications was also analyzed.


RESULTS
Seventy-three subjects (57.5% females) with mean age 50.8 ± 9.2 years were evaluated. The prevalence of depression was 41%. Severe depression (PHQ score ≥15) was present in 3 (4%) subjects, moderate depression (PHQ score ≥10) in 7 (10%) subjects, and mild depression was present in 20 (27%) of subjects. Depression was significantly more prevalent in rural subjects (57%) when compared to urban ones (31%, P = 0.049). Depression increased with presence of microvascular complications, fasting plasma glucose, hypertension, but the differences were not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrates higher prevalence of depression in patients with type 2 diabetes. Apart from being belonging to the rural area, no other factor was significantly associated with depression. Therefore, depression should be assessed in each and every patient, irrespective of other factors.
Department of Medicine, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India.
Amit
A
Thour
Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India.
Subhash
S
Das
Department of Medicine, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India.
Tejasav
T
Sehrawat
Department of Medicine, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India.
Yashdeep
Y
Gupta
Depression; diabetes; patient health questionnaire-9