Mental health status of individuals with diabetes in Korea before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a comparison of data from the Korean national health and nutrition examination surveys of 2018–2019 and 2020–2021

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the mental health status of patients with diabetes before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the effect of COVID-19 on their mental health status. This study was the first to investigate the relationship between diabetes and mental health in the Korean population during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: This retrospective cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence of mental health problems before (2018–2019) and during (2020–2021) the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals with diabetes aged 40 years or older who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Mental health problems were assessed using self-reported experiences of depression diagnosis, stress perception and suicide ideation. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Clinically significant depression requiring treatment was determined using an optimal cut-off score of 10 out of a total of 27 points. PARTICIPANTS: There were 824 men and 763 women in the 2018–2019 survey and 882 men and 887 women in 2020–2021. RESULTS: In the unadjusted analysis, women had a statistically significantly higher prevalence of suicide ideation in 2020–2021 (2.9, 95% CI: 1.5 to 4.2) than in 2018–2019 (1.0, 95% CI: 0.4 to 1.7, but p<0.0067). There was no statistically significant difference in both men and women in 2018–2019 after adjusting for age, education, economic activity, hypoglycaemic drug intake or insulin injection, current alcohol consumption, hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia. A comparison of the results of the PHQ-9 survey conducted in 2018–2019 and 2020–2021 found no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of depressive disorder among both men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term, retrospective observations and studies on the effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of patients with diabetes should be conducted in the future.