An attempt to identify factors determining the prevalence and intensity of depression in patients with diabetes in Polish population — preliminary report

Introduction. Diabetes is included in the group of metabolic diseases. According to the estimates of the World Health Organization (WHO) the global number of patients suffering from diabetes has increased to 387 million in just 11 years. 5% of Polish society, which is about 2 million, is diagnosed with this particular illness in Poland. Metabolic disorders occur 2 to 3 times more often in patients with mental diseases than in the general population. Often diabetes is accompanied by depression making it a chronic illness. Aim. The aim of the study is to identify factors determining the prevalence and intensification of depression in patients suffering from diabetes. Material and methods. The study included 100 patients with diabetes in the Subcarpathian region, who are being treated in specialist clinics. The study was conducted from 12th to 20th April 2016 using an original questionnaire. Verification of differences was performed by means of chi-square test of independence and U Manna-Whitney test, applying the significance level at p < 0.05. Calculations were performed using SPSS. Results. The average age of the respondents was 41.25 years, SD = 15.38. The prevalence of depression in family history was pointed by 31% of responders and 40.0% of them declared permanent psychiatric consultations. Depression was diagnosed in 25.0% of the diabetic patients. Among the symptoms observed the respondents enumerated fatigue, lack of energy, lack of motivation to make any effort (60.0%). Depression was treated more often among patients treated for diabetes for over 20 years (53.8%). Conclusions. The prevalence of depression symptoms was observed by all of the patients in the study. The most common ones included fatigue, lack of energy and lack of motivation to make any effort. More men than women stated that they were consulting a psychiatrist. The patients who suffered from diabetic complications are more eager to consult a psychiatrist and undergo the treatment for depression. Fluctuations of blood glucose may have an impact on depression symptoms in diabetic patients.