Prevalence of and factors related to depressive symptoms in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

The objective of the study was to identify the prevalence of and factors related to depressive symptoms in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A cross-sectional study was conducted with 104 people with T2DM, using a questionnaire with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and the Beck Depression Inventory. A descriptive and correlation analysis between depressive symptoms and the variables of interest was performed using the Spearman and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Among the participants, 25% (n=26) had depressive symptoms, which were more frequent among those who were elderly, had a time of diagnosis of over five years and were overweight. It was concluded that there is a need for screening and early identification of depressive symptoms in individuals with T2DM, especially in the elderly, individuals with longer diagnosis time and who are overweight. In these cases, professional interventions based on actions to promote health, quality of life and prevention of complications related to the combination of these chronic conditions are encouraged.