The effect of depression management on diabetes and hypertension outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol

BACKGROUND: Depression and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for a growing burden on health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Depression is generally associated with the outcomes of NCDs and is an important barrier to consistent NCD care management. There is great need to understand the efficacy of interventions to treat depression for people with NCDs, but there is a paucity of evidence of the efficacy of the interventions in LMICs. Therefore, the broad objective of this review is to systematically review the literature on the effectiveness of depression management among patients with diabetes and hypertension to improve outcomes. METHODS: This is a systematic review to assess the evidence of the effect of depression management in diabetic and hypertensive patients on diabetes and hypertension outcomes in LMICs. Two independent reviewers will search articles on PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Global Index Medicus. Two reviewers will then screen the articles independently based on predefined criteria. We will use standard methods as recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration of assessing quality of evidence and publish our report using the PRISMA guidelines. DISCUSSION: The findings from this review will provide evidence to be used in guiding practice and policy on how to integrate depression management in diabetes and hypertension clinics. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42017068257