Depressive Symptomatology in Obese Adults With Type II Diabetes

This study compared depressive symptomatology in 32 obese subjects with type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes (16 men, 16 women) and their obese nondiabetic spouses. All subjects completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) before participation in a behavioral weight-loss program. Diabetic subjects reported significantly more depressive symptomatology than their overweight nondiabetic spouses (10.6 ± 6.4 vs. 7.5 ± 6.2, P < 0.04). Diabetic subjects scored higher than their spouses on 15 of 20 BDI items, with significant differences in feelings of being punished, perceived appearance, and interest in sex. Mean BDI score in the diabetic spouses was similar to that observed in the first 123 diabetic subjects to enter the weight-loss program (BDI 11.2 ± 6.9). Further studies are needed to determine whether diabetic subjects differ from age-, sex-, and weight-matched nondiabetic individuals in clinical depression and depressive symptomatology.