Depression, anxiety, and diabetes-related distress in type 2 diabetes in primary care in Greece: Different roles for glycemic control and self-care

OBJECTIVES: The psychological distress of people living with diabetes is increased and associated with poorer glycemic outcomes and self-care. We aimed to examine the frequency of depression, anxiety, and diabetes-related distress (DRD) of individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in primary care (PC) and their comparative associations with clinical, self-care, and socio-demographic characteristics, testing for possible different roles on glycemic control and self-care. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of 182 adults with a T2D diagnosis of at least six months, recruited between August 2019-March 2020 and May-October 2020, from an urban PC unit. Participants were screened for symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)), and DRD (Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS)). Clinical, self-care, and socio-demographic parameters were recorded. RESULTS: The frequency of clinically significant symptoms of depression was 16.6%, (PHQ-9 score ⩾10), anxiety 17.7% (GAD-7 score ⩾10), and DRD 22.6% (DDS score ⩾2). All PHQ-9, GAD-7, and DDS scores intercorrelated, and higher scores were found to be associated with female gender, lower income, and prior diagnosis of depression. Higher PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were found to be associated with lower education, more hypoglycemia episodes, more blood glucose self-tests and antidepressant or benzodiazepine use. The retired/housewives scored significantly lower in GAD-7 and DDS compared to the unemployed participants. Higher DDS scores were associated with higher glycated hemoglobin, higher fasting plasma glucose, and insulin use. It was also noted that higher PHQ-9 scores were associated with lower uric acid levels and were significantly higher in the sedentary lifestyle group. CONCLUSION: DRD was associated with poorer glycemic outcomes while depressive symptoms were associated with lower physical activity perhaps sharing different roles for glycemic control and self-care. The psychological burden of individuals with T2D may be considered in PC.