Adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have a higher risk of developing depression symptoms during their lives and new research shows that over 40% of T1Ds experience elevated diabetes-related distress (DD). Psychosocial assessment is recommended as a critical part of patient-centered care in order to promote better diabetes outcomes and psychosocial well-being. The goals of this study were to document the prevalence of and relationships among Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), depression symptoms and DD, and to determine the linkage each of these measures with glycemic control in a Brazilian sample of adults with T1D at The State University of Campinas, Brazil. In a cross-sectional study, 70 T1D adults were evaluated. Inclusion criteria were age ≥18 and diagnosis of T1D ≥ 6 months. Exclusion criteria were cognitive impairment, history of major psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, drug addiction, dementia), and severe diabetes-related complications (blindness, need for hemodialysis, limb amputations, stroke). Diagnoses of MDD was made using DSM-5 criteria. Depression symptoms were evaluated by the depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD-D). The Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) assessed DD. Metabolic control was evaluated by HbA1c. The latest lipid panel results were recorded and BMI was calculated. Number of complications was obtained from medical records. Forty percent of T1Ds were male, mean age 31(±8,8), mean number of complications was 1 (± 1.2), and mean HbA1c was 10.0%(±2). Frequency of MDD was 30,0% and 35,7% reported high depression symptoms. Fifty-two percent reported high DD. Only DD and depression symptoms were each significantly and positively associated with HbA1C (p < .05). This study shows that several measures that reflect the emotional side of diabetes are related to glycemic control. They emphasize the need to incorporate the emotional side of diabetes into strategies of care for adults with T1D.

Disclosure

M.S.M. Silveira: None. M.C. Parisi: None. K. Ruppert: None. A. Moura Neto: None. L.M. Siminerio: None. A.C. Sposito: None. M. Funnell: Advisory Panel; Self; Sanofi US, Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc.. E.J. Pavin: None. L. Fisher: Consultant; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Abbott, Merck & Co., Inc..

© 2018 by the American Diabetes Association.
2018
Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. More information is available at http://www.diabetesjournals.org/content/license.