Prevalence and Correlates of Depression, Anxiety and Stress in Asymptomatic Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Research3 min read

By Dr. Johny J. Kannampilly, Nova K (Psychologist)
Metnoia NewHealth Diabetes and Lifestyle Diseases Research Institute, Kochi, Kerala, India.

Background

Diabetes mellitus, a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycaemia, has been increasingly associated with a range of psychological conditions, particularly depression, anxiety, and stress. These psychological comorbidities not only affect the quality of life but also play a critical role in the self-management and clinical outcomes of diabetes. Assessing the prevalence and severity of these mental health conditions in individuals with diabetes is essential.

Objective

The aim of the study is to find out the prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety and stress in Type 2 diabetics patients with elevated HbA1c of asymptomatic uncontrolled diabetes patients.

Methodology

The study was conducted on a sample of 65 diabetic patients consisting of 34 male and 31 females aged 45 – 60. Purposive sampling method was employed to select the sample. Depression, anxiety and stress was assessed using DASS 21. For depression 0-9 is normal,10-13 mild,14-20 moderate and 21-27+ is considered as severe. For anxiety 0-7 is normal, 8-9 mild,10-14 moderate and 15-19+ is severe. For stress, the score was appointed from 0- 33 were 33 is severe. The blood samples were collected and HbA1c levels were also noted.

Results

Among the 65 T2DM patients, a majority of the patients scored high on measures of depression, anxiety, stress, or they had a combination of either 2 or 3 of the symptoms 30% exhibited severe depression, 17% had moderate depression, 7% had mild symptoms and 11% had normal. In terms of anxiety, 17% reported moderate levels, 25% severe, 8 % mild and 15 % reported normal. Stress levels were 34% normal, 15% severe, 9% mild and 7% moderate. Patients with moderate to severe psychological symptoms had noticeably higher HbA1c levels, indicating poor glycaemic control. The findings suggest a clear positive association between elevated psychological distress and uncontrolled blood glucose level.

Conclusion

This study highlights the prevalence of depression anxiety and stress in asymptomatic diabetic patients with high HbA1c level. The study also recommends routine psychological screening for uncontrolled diabetic patients, regardless of reported psychological symptoms or complaints, to improved outcomes, and the tools like DASS 21 are easy to use in clinical settings.