Diabetes and depression comorbidity and socio-economic status in low and middle income countries (LMICs): a mapping of the evidence

Association between depression and diabetes mellitus and the impact of their comorbidity on mortality: Evidence from a nationally representative study

BACKGROUND

Depression and diabetes mellitus (DM) are major chronic noncommunicable diseases that impair one's mental and physical well-being and impose substantial burdens on the health system. Depressed individuals have an increased risk of impaired blood glucose, weight gain and dyslipidemia which could induce poorer long-term survival.

METHODS

37,040 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were included. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and classified by the total scores as no (0-4), mild (5-9), moderate (10-14), and severe (15-27). DM was determined based on self-reported medical history, clinical test results, and medication use. Logistic and Cox regression were the main statistical models. All analyses were based on weighted data from complex sampling.

RESULTS

The prevalence of DM was higher in depressed than non-depressed individuals (21.26 % vs. 13.75 %). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) (95 % CI) of comorbid DM increased with depression severity, from 1.00 (reference) for no depression, to 1.22 (1.09,1.36) for mild, 1.62 (1.37,1.92) for moderate, and 1.52(1.28,1.82) for severe depression. Comorbidity of DM and depression significantly associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality, with a hazard ratio (HR) (95 % CI) = 2.09 (1.64,2.66).

LIMITATIONS

Dynamic demographic and metabolic data were not available.

CONCLUSION

Depression is associated with a higher risk of DM, which may be related to biological, socioeconomic, and medication-related factors. Comorbidity of the two worsens long-term survival. Therefore, blood glucose management and prevention of DM should be emphasized in depressed patients.

The effect of socioeconomic status, depression, and diabetes symptoms severity on diabetes patient's life satisfaction in India

Evidence suggests that diabetes is on the rise in India, affecting many people's life satisfaction. Comprehensive estimation of life satisfaction among diabetes patients does not exist in the country. This study examined the effects of socioeconomic status, depression, and diabetes symptoms severity on the life satisfaction of diabetes patients by controlling various demographic variables. It was a cross-sectional study comprising 583 diabetes patients from Punjab, India. Patients were interviewed using a multi-stage purposeful random sampling method. Descriptive analysis and partial least squares structural equation modelling were used in the study to test the hypotheses. Results revealed that socioeconomic status, depression and diabetes symptoms severity significantly influence the life satisfaction of diabetes patients. A 1% drop in diabetes symptoms severity corresponds to a 0.849% increase in life satisfaction, whereas a 1% decrease in depression results in a 0.898% increase in life satisfaction. Patients with higher diabetes symptoms severity were coping with common mental disorders. Women reported higher diabetes symptoms severity and depression than men, resulting in lower life satisfaction. An experimental evaluation of the effects of socioeconomic status, depression and diabetes symptoms severity, and numerous demographic factors on life satisfaction was reported. The findings will help policymakers understand the problem associated with life satisfaction among diabetes patients in the country.

Risk of Depression according to Cumulative Exposure to a Low-Household Income Status in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Nationwide Population- Based Study

BACKGRUOUND

We aimed to identify the risk of incident depression according to cumulative exposure to a low-household income status in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS

For this retrospective longitudinal population-based cohort study, we used Korean National Health Insurance Service data from 2002 to 2018. Risk of depression was assessed according to cumulative exposure to low-household income status (defined as Medical Aid registration) during the previous 5 years among adults (aged ≥20 years) with T2DM and without baseline depression who underwent health examinations from 2009 to 2012 (n=2,027,317).

RESULTS

During an average 6.23 years of follow-up, 401,175 incident depression cases occurred. Advance in cumulative number of years registered for medical aid during the previous 5 years from baseline was associated with an increased risk of depression in a dose-dependent manner (hazard ratio [HR], 1.44 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.38 to 1.50]; HR, 1.40 [95% CI, 1.35 to 1.46]; HR, 1.42, [95% CI, 1.37 to 1.48]; HR, 1.46, [95% CI, 1.40 to 1.53]; HR, 1.69, [95% CI, 1.63 to 1.74] in groups with 1 to 5 exposed years, respectively). Insulin users exposed for 5 years to a low-household income state had the highest risk of depression among groups categorized by insulin use and duration of low-household income status.

CONCLUSION

Cumulative duration of low-household income status, defined as medical aid registration, was associated with an increased risk of depression in a dose-response manner in individuals with T2DM.

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Related Mental Health Issues; Insights from a Range of Social Media Platforms Using a Mixed-Methods Approach

The emergence of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs; semaglutide and others) now promises effective, non-invasive treatment of obesity for individuals with and without diabetes. Social media platforms' users started promoting semaglutide/Ozempic as a weight-loss treatment, and the associated increase in demand has contributed to an ongoing worldwide shortage of the drug associated with levels of non-prescribed semaglutide intake. Furthermore, recent reports emphasized some GLP-1 RA-associated risks of triggering depression and suicidal thoughts. Consistent with the above, we aimed to assess the possible impact of GLP-1 RAs on mental health as being perceived and discussed in popular open platforms with the help of a mixed-methods approach. Reddit posts yielded 12,136 comments, YouTube videos 14,515, and TikTok videos 17,059, respectively. Out of these posts/entries, most represented matches related to sleep-related issues, including insomnia (n = 620 matches); anxiety (n = 353); depression (n = 204); and mental health issues in general (n = 165). After the initiation of GLP-1 RAs, losing weight was associated with either a marked improvement or, in some cases, a deterioration, in mood; increase/decrease in anxiety/insomnia; and better control of a range of addictive behaviors. The challenges of accessing these medications were a hot topic as well. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study documenting if and how GLP-1 RAs are perceived as affecting mood, mental health, and behaviors. Establishing a clear cause-and-effect link between metabolic diseases, depression and medications is difficult because of their possible reciprocal relationship, shared underlying mechanisms and individual differences. Further research is needed to better understand the safety profile of these molecules and their putative impact on behavioral and non-behavioral addictions.

Impact of financial well-being on gender affirmation surgery access and hospital course

BACKGROUND

Although gender affirmation surgery (GAS) can effectively treat gender dysphoria, it remains one of the most expensive components of gender affirming care. This study aims to identify the impact of financial well-being on GAS access and hospital course in the United States.

METHODS

The National Inpatient Sample database was queried from 2012 to 2019. US transgender patients undergoing GAS were identified. Predictors included patient sociodemographic variables. Outcomes included hospitalization course variables. Regression modeling was used to assess the relationship between predictor and outcome variables. Significance was set at α = 0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 5620 weighted GAS encounters were identified (genital surgery 92.3%, chest surgery 16.6%). 1825 (32.5%) patients were in the highest income bracket, compared with 1120 (19.9%) patients in the lowest bracket. Higher income was associated with younger age at the time of GAS. Patients in the highest income quartile were also 3.7 times more likely to be funded by private insurance and self-pay options than those in the lowest income quartile (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.1-4.4, p < 0.0001). Additionally, patients in the lowest income quartile were 4.2 times more likely to require either home healthcare or transfer to a nursing facility post discharge than those in the highest income quartile (95% CI: 3.1-5.8, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

To promote equitable care to transgender patients, efforts to reduce financial barriers to healthcare access are much needed, particularly through broader insurance coverage of GAS procedures. Broadly, our results highlight the impact of socioeconomic variables on healthcare access and outcomes.

Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Depression Among Persons with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in The Family Medicine Clinic of a Tertiary Hospital in Southern Nigeria

Background

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) with rising prevalence worldwide. DM increases the risk for depression as the prevalence of depression has been reported to be three times more in diabetics than in non-diabetics. Though depressive symptoms are more common in diabetes, they are not usually recognized and treated. Little is known about the predictors of depression in this group of people, especially among the Nigerian population. This study explored the sociodemographic factors associated with depression in patients with type 2 DM without prior psychiatric history.

Methodology

This was a cross-sectional study conducted among two hundred and sixty-four patients using structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Chi-square tests were performed to compare associations between categorical variables. A probability (p) value less than 0.05 was taken as statistically significant.

Results

Females [176 (66%)] were three times more than males [88 (33.3%)] respectively. The prevalence of depression was 49.2%. Level of education (p= 0.008), occupation (p= 0.014), and social class (p= 0.040) were significantly associated with depression among the respondents. Depression was higher among the older age group, females, and the widowed.

Conclusion

Females and older adults were more affected by depression. The predictors of depression were level of education, occupation, and social class. Thus, there is a need to screen those who have been diagnosed with T2DM for depression, especially females and older adult patients.

Prevalence of Depression in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes between 10 and 17 Years of Age in Jordan

METHODS

The study was conducted by distributing the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) to adolescents with T1D seen at Jordan University Hospital between February 2019 and February 2020. Demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic data were collected using electronic clinical charts. Possible predictors of depression were assessed using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 108 children were enrolled in the study with mean age of 13.7 ± 2.3 years. Fifty-eight children (53.7%) had a CES depression score less than 15, and 50 children (46.3%) had a depression score of 15 or more. The number of diabetes-related hospital admissions and the frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) were significantly different between the two groups. In the multivariable analysis, both gender and SMBG frequency were statistically significant. Girls were more likely to have a depression score ≥ 15 (OR = 3.41, p = 0.025) than boys. Patients who were rarely testing blood glucose levels were more likely to have a depression score ≥ 15 compared to those who were testing regularly (OR = 36.57, p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of depressive symptoms is relatively high in adolescents with T1D, especially in those living in developing countries. Longer diabetes duration, higher glycated hemoglobin level, and less frequent blood glucose monitoring are associated with higher depression scores.

Prevention of suicidal behavior in diabetes: the role of primary care

Studies in different countries suggest that the rates of suicide ideation, attempts and death are increased in patients with diabetes in comparison to the general population. Suicidal behavior in patients with diabetes is a significant but underappreciated problem. Elevated suicide risk in individuals with diabetes may be related to comorbid psychiatric disorders, particularly depression. Considerable evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship between diabetes and depression: individuals with diabetes are at elevated risk of developing depression and patients with depression are more likely to develop diabetes. Frequent comorbidity of diabetes and depression may be related to psychosocial and neurobiological factors. Other comorbid psychiatric conditions including anxiety and alcohol use disorders may also increase suicide risk in diabetes. Primary care physicians are likely the key to suicide prevention efforts in individuals with diabetes since they see almost half of individuals who die by suicide within 1 month of their suicide. The management of potentially suicidal patients with diabetes in primary care comprises six major components: management of diabetes and its complications, especially conditions associated with pain; diagnosis and treatment of comorbid psychiatric disorders; frequent assessment of suicide risk; restricting access to the means of suicide; specific treatments to reduce the predisposition to attempt suicide; and referral to psychiatric care. Suicide prevention in individuals with diabetes and other medical disorders is a difficult but critically important task.

Integrated Management of Type 2 Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes in the Context of Multi-Morbidity in Africa: A Systematic Review

Introduction

Many adults diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) also have other known or unknown comorbid conditions. The rising prevalence of GDM and T2DM within a broader context of multimorbidity can best be addressed through an integrated management response, instead of stand-alone programs targeting specific infectious and/or chronic diseases.

Aim

To describe GDM and T2DM screening, care and cost-effectiveness outcomes in the context of multimorbidity through integrated interventions in Africa.

Methods

A systematic review of all published studies was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Risk Of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) was used to assess risk of bias. Data synthesis was conducted using narrative synthesis of included studies.

Results

A total of 9 out of 13 included studies reported integrated diabetes mellitus (DM) screening, 7 included integrated care and 9 studies addressed cases of newly detected DM who were asymptomatic in pre-diabetes stage. Only 1 study clearly analysed cost-effectiveness in home-based care; another 5 did not evaluate cost-effectiveness but discussed potential cost benefits of an integrated approach to DM screening and care. Compared to partial integration, only 2 fully integrated interventions yielded tangible results regarding DM screening, care and early detection of cases despite many that reported barriers to its sustainability.

Conclusion

Though few, integrated interventions for screening and/or care of DM in the context of multimorbidity within available resources in health systems throughout Africa exist and suggest that this approach is possible and could improve health outcomes.

Lower Socio-Economic Position Associated With Higher Odds Of Diabetes-Depression Comorbidity

Diabetes-depression comorbidity (DDC) adversely affects the quality of life of diabetic patients, complicates the clinical treatment and makes diabetes management very challenging. Therefore, early identification and diagnosis of DDC is crucial to prevent complications and improve the health outcomes among the diabetic patients. This work explores the association between demographic, lifestyle, social economic factors and DDC. The analysis is based on data obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Logistic Regression was used to explore this association. Women were found to have higher odds of DDC as compared to men [OR 1.30, 95%CI(1.17-1.44), p <0.001]. Additionally, sedentary behaviour and lower socio-economic position was found to be associated with higher odds of DDC. Moreover, a gradient association was observed between socio-economic position (SEP) and DDC. The odds of DDC tend to reduce with improvement in SEP. Our findings underscore the importance of examining and addressing the disproportionate burden of DDC among the lower socio-economic groups.

A clinical approach to treatment resistance in depressed patients: What to do when the usual treatments don't work well enough?

BACKGROUND

Major depressive disorder is a common, recurrent, disabling and costly disorder that is often severe and/or chronic, and for which non-remission on guideline concordant first-line antidepressant treatment is the norm. A sizeable percentage of patients diagnosed with MDD do not achieve full remission after receiving antidepressant treatment. How to understand or approach these 'refractory', 'TRD' or 'difficult to treat' patients need to be revisited. Treatment resistant depression (TRD) has been described elsewhere as failure to respond to adequate treatment by two different antidepressants. This definition is problematic as it suggests that TRD is a subtype of major depressive disorder (MDD), inferring a boundary between TRD and depression that is not treatment resistant. However, there is scant evidence to suggest that a discrete TRD entity exists as a distinct subtype of MDD, which itself is not a discrete or homogeneous entity. Similarly, the boundary between TRD and other forms of depression is predicated at least in part on regulatory and research requirements rather than biological evidence or clinical utility.

AIM

This paper aims to investigate the notion of treatment failure in order to understand (i) what is TRD in the context of a broader formulation based on the understanding of depression, (ii) what factors make an individual patient difficult to treat, and (iii) what is the appropriate and individualised treatment strategy, predicated on an individual with refractory forms of depression?

METHOD

Expert contributors to this paper were sought internationally by contacting representatives of key professional societies in the treatment of MDD - World Federation of Societies for Biological Psychiatry, Australasian Society for Bipolar and Depressive Disorders, International Society for Affective Disorders, Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologium and the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments. The manuscript was prepared through iterative editing.

OUTCOMES

The concept of TRD as a discrete subtype of MDD, defined by failure to respond to pharmacotherapy, is not supported by evidence. Between 15 and 30% of depressive episodes fail to respond to adequate trials of 2 antidepressants, and 68% of individuals do not achieve remission from depression after a first-line course of antidepressant treatment. Failure to respond to antidepressant treatment, somatic therapies or psychotherapies may often reflect other factors including; biological resistance, diagnostic error, limitations of current therapies, psychosocial variables, a past history of exposure to childhood maltreatment or abuse, job satisfaction, personality disorders, co-morbid mental and physical disorders, substance use or non-adherence to treatment. Only a subset of patients not responding to antidepressant treatment can be explained through pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamics mechanisms. We propose that non remitting MDD should be personalised, and propose a strategy of 'deconstructing depression'. By this approach, the clinician considers which factors contribute to making this individual both depressed and 'resistant' to previous therapeutic approaches. Clinical formulation is required to understand the nature of the depression. Many predictors of response are not biological, and reflect a confluence of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors, which may influence the illness in a particular individual. After deconstructing depression at a personalised level, a personalised treatment plan can be constructed. The treatment plan needs to address the factors that have contributed to the individual's hard to treat depression. In addition, an individual with a history of illness may have a lot of accumulated life issues due to consequences of their illness, and these should be addressed in a recovery plan.

LIMITATIONS

A 'deconstructing depression' qualitative rubric does not easily provide clear inclusion and exclusion criteria for researchers wanting to investigate TRD.

CONCLUSIONS

MDD is a polymorphic disorder and many individuals who fail to respond to standard pharmacotherapy and are considered hard to treat. These patients are best served by personalised approaches that deconstruct the factors that have contributed to the patient's depression and implementing a treatment plan that adequately addresses these factors. The existence of TRD as a discrete and distinct subtype of MDD, defined by two treatment failures, is not supported by evidence.

Determining the reasons for unmet healthcare needs in South Korea: a secondary data analysis

Background

“Unmet healthcare needs” refers to the situation in which patients or citizens cannot fulfill their medical needs, likely due to socioeconomic reasons. The purpose of this study was to analyze factors related to unmet healthcare needs among South Korean adults.

Methods

We used a retrospective cross-sectional study design. This nationwide-based study included the data of 26,598 participants aged 19 years and older, which were obtained from the 2013–2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Using multiple logistic regression models, we analyzed the associations between factors that influence unmet healthcare needs and participants’ subgroups.

Results

Despite South Korea’s universal health insurance system, in 2017, 9.5% of South Koreans experienced unmet healthcare needs. In both the male and female groups, younger people (age 19–39) had a higher odds ratio (OR) of experiencing unmet healthcare needs compared to older people (reference: age ≥ 60) (men: OR 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.35–2.48; women: OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.12–1.81). In particular, unlike men, women’s unmet healthcare needs increased as their incomes decreased (1 quartile OR 1.55, 2 quartiles OR 1.29, 3 quartiles OR 1.26). Men and women showed a tendency to have more unmet healthcare needs with less exercise, worse subjective health state, worse pain, and a higher degree of depression.

Conclusions

The contributing factors of unmet healthcare needs included having a low socioeconomic status, high stress, severe pain, and severe depression. Considering our findings, we suggest improving healthcare access for those with low socioeconomic status.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12955-021-01737-5.

Mental health and diabetes self-management: assessing stakeholder perspectives from health centers in Northern Mexico

BACKGROUND

People living with diabetes have an increased risk of developing mental health issues. Mexico has observed a high prevalence of people living with diabetes suffering from mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. Self-management programs have demonstrated promise in helping participants address and prevent not only physiological health complications but mental health issues as well. This qualitative study aimed to understand the mental health benefits of a diabetes self-management intervention for health centers in Northern Mexico and opportunities for improvement through assessing stakeholder perspectives.

METHODS

Trained research staff used a semi-structured questionnaire guide to conduct all interviews and focus groups from February-May 2018. Individual interviews (n = 16) were conducted face-to-face at four health center sites among all health center directors and key staff located throughout the state of Sonora. One focus group (n = 41) was conducted at each of the four health centers among intervention participants. Directed content analysis was used to establish themes by understanding relationships, identifying similar experiences, and determining patterns across datasets.

RESULTS

In total 57 health center directors, health center staff, and intervention participants were involved in the interviews and focus groups across the four health centers. Overall the analysis identified four themes throughout the data, two were categorized as benefits and two as improvements. The primary themes for participant benefits were an increase in self-efficacy and social support to manage their chronic conditions. These were evident from not only participant perspectives, but health staff observations. Conversely, increased family involvement, and increased mental health integration and services within diabetes care were identified themes for opportunities to improve the intervention to be more inclusive and holistic.

CONCLUSION

All stakeholders observed the benefits for intervention participants and opportunities for more inclusivity of the family and integration as well as an increase in mental health services. The themes identified demonstrated a need to more proactively enhance and utilize diabetes self-management as a means to improve mental health outcomes among people living with diabetes in Mexico. This is an opportunity to employ a more comprehensive approach to diabetes self-management, and integrate mental health services into overall diabetes care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02804698 . Registered on June 17, 2016.

Horizontal inequity in self-reported morbidity and untreated morbidity in India: Evidence from National Sample Survey Data

BACKGROUND

Health outcomes in India are characterized by pervasive inequities due to deeply entrenched socio-economic gradients amongst the population. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate these systematic disparities in health, however, evidence of inequities does not commensurate with its policy objectives in India. Thus, our paper aims to examine the magnitude of and trends in horizontal inequities in self-reported morbidity and untreated morbidity in India over the period of 2004 to 2017-18.

METHODS

The study used cross-sectional data from nationwide healthcare surveys conducted in 2004, 2014 and 2017-18 encompassing sample size of 3,85,055; 3,35,499 and 5,57,887 individuals respectively. Erreygers concentration indices were employed to discern the magnitude and trend in horizontal inequities in self-reported morbidity and untreated morbidity. Need standardized concentration indices were further used to unravel the inter-regional and intra-regional income related inequities in outcomes of interest. Additionally, regression based decomposition approach was applied to ascertain the contributions of both legitimate and illegitimate factors in the measured inequalities.

RESULTS

Estimates were indicative of profound inequities in self-reported morbidity as inequity indices were positive and significant for all study years, connoting better-off reporting more morbidity, given their needs. These inequities however, declined marginally from 2004(HI: 0.049, p< 0.01) to 2017-18(HI: 0.045, P< 0.01). Untreated morbidity exhibited pro-poor inequities with negative concentration indices. Albeit, significant reduction in horizontal inequity was found from 2004(HI= - 0.103, p< 0.01) to 2017-18(HI = - 0.048, p< 0.01) in treatment seeking over the years. The largest contribution of inequality for both outcomes stemmed from illegitimate variables in all the study years. Our findings also elucidated inter-state heterogeneities in inequities with high-income states like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal evincing inequities greater than all India estimates and Northeastern states divulged equity in reporting morbidity. Inequities in untreated morbidity converged for most states except in Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh where widening of inequities were observed from 2004 to 2017-18.

CONCLUSIONS

Pro-rich and pro-poor inequities in reported and untreated morbidities respectively persisted from 2004 to 2017-18 despite reforms in Indian healthcare. Magnitude of these inequities declined marginally over the years. Health policy in India should strive for targeted interventions closing inequity gap.

Factors associated with depression, anxiety and stress among patients with diabetes mellitus in primary health care: Many questions, few answers

INTRODUCTION

People with diabetes mellitus (DM) may have concurrent mental health disorders and have been shown to have poorer disease outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study to determine the prevalence of DASS in patients with diabetes mellitus without mental disorders, aged 20 years or more, in primary health care, and to determine any association between DASS and patients' sociodemographic and clinical attributes.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a primary health care center, in the department of general practice. Patients with DM who visited the doctor and agreed to fill in the questionnaire were included in the study. Data were collected using the questionnaire DASS-21. Descriptive statistics, the Pearson chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Out of a total of 102 respondents with DM, 29 (28.4%) had some form of psychological symptoms. The prevalence of DASS was 16.7%, 16.6%, and 23.5%, respectively. There was no significant difference between sociodemographic variables according to stress status. Respondents aged 40-49 years more often showed emotional states of depression and anxiety. There was a significant association between emotional status of DASS and HbA1c values. Logistic regression analysis indicated that age (OR=2.57, 95% CI: 1.59-4.13) was a predictor of depression and anxiety.

CONCLUSION

Unpleasant emotional states DASS are common in patients with DM, depression (16.7%), anxiety (16.6%), and stress (23.5%). Age is the strongest predictor of DASS status. The screening and monitoring of unpleasant emotional states in people with diabetes should be performed from a young age.

Patterns of Association between Depressive Symptoms and Chronic Medical Morbidities in Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association between depressive symptoms and several medical morbidities, and their combination, in a large older population.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study of baseline data from the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) trial.

SETTING

Multicentric study conducted in Australia and the United States.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 19,110 older adults (mean age = 75 years [standard deviation = ±4.5]).

MEASUREMENTS

Depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D 10) scale. Medical morbidities were defined according to condition-specific methods. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to test associations before and after accounting for possible confounders.

RESULTS

Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with obesity (OR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.07-1.32), diabetes (OR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.05-1.42), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (OR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.28-1.57), metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.16; 95% CI = 1.03-1.29), osteoarthritis (OR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.27-1.57), respiratory conditions (OR = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.10-1.42), history of cancer (OR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.05-1.34), Parkinson's disease (OR = 2.56; 95% CI = 1.83-3.56), polypharmacy (OR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.44-1.79), and multimorbidity (OR = 1.29; 95% CI = 1.12-1.49). No significant association was observed between depressive symptoms and hypertension, chronic kidney disease, dyslipidemia, and gout (P > .05). A significant dose-response relationship was evident between the number of medical comorbidities and the prevalence of depression (OR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.13-1.22).

CONCLUSION

Late-life depressive symptoms are significantly associated with several medical morbidities, and there appears to be a cumulative effect of the number of somatic diseases on the prevalence of depression. These findings augment the evidence for a complex relationship between mental and physical health in an otherwise healthy older population and might guide clinicians toward early recognition of high-risk individuals. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1834-1841, 2020.

Mediators of the association between low socioeconomic status and poor glycemic control among type 2 diabetics in Bangladesh

Although low socioeconomic status (SES) is related to poor glycemic control, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We examined potentially modifiable factors involved in the association between low SES and poor glycemic control using data from the baseline survey of a multicenter, prospective cohort study. Five hundred adult type 2 diabetes patients were recruited from three diabetes centers. Glycemic control was poorer in diabetic individuals with low SES than in those with higher SES. Adverse health-related behaviors, such as non-adherence to medication (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04–1.13) and diet (AOR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.02–1.06); existing comorbidities, such as depressive symptoms (AOR = 1.05, 95% CI 1.04–1.09); and non-adherence to essential health service-related practices concerning diabetes care, such as irregular scheduled clinic visits (AOR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.03–1.06) and not practicing self-monitoring of blood glucose (AOR = 1.05, 95% CI 1.03–1.07), mediated the relationship between social adversity and poor glycemic control specially in urban areas of Bangladesh. Those identified factors provide useful information for developing interventions to mitigate socioeconomic disparities in glycemic control.

The state of the art in European research on reducing social exclusion and stigma related to mental health: A systematic mapping of the literature

Stigma and social exclusion related to mental health are of substantial public health importance for Europe. As part of ROAMER (ROAdmap for MEntal health Research in Europe), we used systematic mapping techniques to describe the current state of research on stigma and social exclusion across Europe. Findings demonstrate growing interest in this field between 2007 and 2012. Most studies were descriptive (60%), focused on adults of working age (60%) and were performed in Northwest Europe—primarily in the UK (32%), Finland (8%), Sweden (8%) and Germany (7%). In terms of mental health characteristics, the largest proportion of studies investigated general mental health (20%), common mental disorders (16%), schizophrenia (16%) or depression (14%). There is a paucity of research looking at mechanisms to reduce stigma and promote social inclusion, or at factors that might promote resilience or protect against stigma/social exclusion across the life course. Evidence is also limited in relation to evaluations of interventions. Increasing incentives for cross-country research collaborations, especially with new EU Member States and collaboration across European professional organizations and disciplines, could improve understanding of the range of underpinning social and cultural factors which promote inclusion or contribute toward lower levels of stigma, especially during times of hardship.

Higher risk of depression in individuals with type 2 diabetes and obesity: Results of a meta-analysis

The aim of this study was to determine the risk of having significant depressive symptoms in subjects with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus through a meta-analysis. Our results showed that individuals with obesity and diabetes have an increased risk of having significant symptoms of depression. In subgroup analyses, we observed that Caucasian populations have an increased risk of having these symptoms. Our meta-analysis suggests that obesity is associated with an increased risk of having significant depressive symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes, and they could be even higher in Caucasian populations.

Factors Underlying Unmet Medical Needs: A Cross-Sectional Study

Unmet medical needs refer to the state where a patient's medical care or service is insufficient, inadequate, or lacking. Numerous factors influence unmet medical needs. We used a multi-pronged approach to explore the factors influencing unmet medical needs in the Korean health care system according to Anderson's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. To this end, we used data from 11,378 adults over 19 years old in the 2016 Korea Health Panel Survey and performed multiple logistic regression analyses. The odds of experiencing unmet medical needs were significantly greater among older participants (odds ratio (OR) = 2.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.78-3.56); low-income participants (OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.14-1.75); non-workers (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.06-1.46); those who had received non-covered treatment (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.08-1.42); those who did not regularly exercise (OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.02-1.48); and those experiencing pain (OR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.97-2.66), worse self-rated health status (OR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.89-2.79), and severe depression (OR = 2.46, 95% CI = 1.39-4.35). About one in ten Korean citizens (11.60%) have unmet medical service needs. Policies that strengthen coverage for physically and economically vulnerable groups are needed.

Depressive symptoms, health behaviors and risk of diabetes in Chinese mid-aged and older adults

OBJECTIVE

While diabetes links with comorbidity of depression, there is no evidence in China regarding whether health behaviors modified the effect of depressive symptoms on diabetes. This study examined the influence of depressive symptoms on the incident diabetes, and investigated whether health behavior was a moderator in the depression-diabetes relationship in Chinese mid-aged and older adults.

METHODS

Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal 2011-2015 Study, the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10) short form was used to measure depressive symptoms in 47,671 Chinese mid-aged and older adults. Diabetes was diagnosed through self-reported measures. We used random effect logistic regression models to examine the effect of depressive symptoms on the incidence of depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Participants with depressive symptoms were more likely to suffer from diabetes than their non-depressive symptoms counterparts, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.33 (95% CI: 1.13, 1.58). We found that unhealthy behaviors moderated the influence of depressive symptoms on risk of diabetes (OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.02), indicating that depressive symptoms patients with two or more unhealthy behaviors had a higher risk of diabetes compared with their peers without unhealthy behaviors.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggested that depressive symptoms were a risk factor in developing diabetes, and that response to this factor varied by individuals' health behaviors. Clinicians should be aware of increased risk of elevated diabetes in population with depressive symptoms and consider routine screening for depressive symptoms among them.

Influence of pharmacological and epigenetic factors to suppress neurotrophic factors and enhance neural plasticity in stress and mood disorders

Stress-induced major depression and mood disorders are characterized by behavioural abnormalities and psychiatric illness, leading to disability and immature mortality worldwide. Neurobiological mechanisms of stress and mood disorders are discussed considering recent findings, and challenges to enhance pharmacological effects of antidepressant, and mood stabilizers. Pharmacological enhancement of ketamine and scopolamine regulates depression at the molecular level, increasing synaptic plasticity in prefrontal regions. Blood-derived neurotrophic factors facilitate mood-deficit symptoms. Epigenetic factors maintain stress-resilience in hippocampal region. Regulation of neurotrophic factors blockades stress, and enhances neuronal survival though it paralyzes limbic regions. Molecular agents and neurotrophic factors also control behavioral and synaptic plasticity in addiction and stress disorders. Future research on neuronal dynamics and cellular actions can be directed to obtain the etiology of synaptic dysregulation in mood disorder and stress. For the first time, the current review contributes to the literature of synaptic plasticity representing the role of epigenetic mechanisms and glucocorticoid receptors to predict depression and anxiety in clinical conditions.

The syndemics of diabetes and depression in Brazil - An epidemiological analysis

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An epidemiological model of causal pathways in the syndemic of diabetes and depression is presented.

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Depression and diabetes are clustering in the adult Brazilian population partly due to shared social and behavioural causes.

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There is an interaction between depression and diabetes in their association with disability.

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There is a differential susceptibility to the effect of obesity on diabetes across levels of education and depression.

Education as a moderator in the effect of diabetes on depressive symptoms in Chinese middle-aged and older adults: A population-based longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Co-morbid diabetes and depression is common; however, little evidence was regarding the effect of education on this association. This study aimed to investigate the role of education in the effect of diabetes on depressive symptoms in China.

METHODS

We used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, including 6,921 participants free from depressive symptoms in three waves of cohort study from 2011. We assessed the depressive symptoms based on Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale. We fitted Cox proportional hazards regression models to examine the effect of baseline diabetes on the subsequent depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Participants with diagnosed diabetes were more likely than their nondiabetic peers to develop depressive symptoms only in 45-64 years group, with a hazard ratio of 1.30 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.61). In addition, the effect of diagnosed diabetes on depressive symptoms only occurred in participants with a diploma of primary school or below.

LIMITATIONS

Information was unavailable may offer additional explanatory power.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggested that diagnosed diabetes was a chronic stressor in developing depressive symptoms, and that response to this stressor varied by individuals' educational attainment. Action to prevent and treat diabetes may contribute to the fight against depressive symptoms, especially in the lower-education population.

When Diabetes Confronts HIV: Biological Sub-citizenship at a Public Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya

This article investigates how international donor policies cultivate a form of biological sub-citizenship for those with diabetes in Kenya. We interviewed 100 patients at a public hospital clinic in Nairobi, half with a diabetes diagnosis. We focus on three vignettes that illustrate how our study participants differentially perceived and experienced living with and seeking treatment and care for diabetes compared to other conditions, with a special focus on HIV. We argue that biological sub-citizenship, where those with HIV have consistent and comprehensive free medical care and those with diabetes must pay out-of-pocket for testing and treatment, impedes diabetes testing and treatment. Once diagnosed, many are then systematically excluded from the health care system due to their own inability to pay. We argue that the systematic exclusion from international donor money creates a form of biological sub-citizenship based on neoliberal economic policies that undermine other public health protections, such as universal primary health care.

The Effect of Neighborhood Disadvantage on Diabetes Prevalence

Patient socioeconomic data is not usually included in medical records nor easily accessible to clinicians, yet socioeconomic disadvantage can be an important guide to disease management. This study evaluated the neighborhood-level Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a measure of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage, as a factor in diabetes mellitus prevalence. Electronic health records at an academic hospital system identified 4,770 Medicare beneficiaries. Logistic regression of diabetes diagnosis (ICD9=250.x) against ADI quintile, age, gender, and race/ethnicity found all these patient characteristics to be significantly associated. Diabetes prevalence was lowest in the least disadvantaged quintile of neighborhoods after adjusting for age, gender, and race/ethnicity. The positive non-linear association of diabetes prevalence with ADI demonstrates the power of this index to practically quantify socioeconomic disadvantage. The ADI may be suitable for clinical decision support, and for informing the policy changes which are needed to reduce socioeconomic disparities in diabetes prevalence and other health outcomes.

Social determinants of mental disorders and the Sustainable Development Goals: a systematic review of reviews

Mental health has been included in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. However, uncertainty exists about the extent to which the major social determinants of mental disorders are addressed by these goals. The aim of this study was to develop a conceptual framework for the social determinants of mental disorders that is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, to use this framework to systematically review evidence regarding these social determinants, and to identify potential mechanisms and targets for interventions. We did a systematic review of reviews using a conceptual framework comprising demographic, economic, neighbourhood, environmental events, and social and culture domains. We included 289 articles in the final Review. This study sheds new light on how the Sustainable Development Goals are relevant for addressing the social determinants of mental disorders, and how these goals could be optimised to prevent mental disorders.

Determinants of excessive daytime sleepiness in two First Nation communities

Background

Excessive daytime sleepiness may be determined by a number of factors including personal characteristics, co-morbidities and socio-economic conditions. In this study we identified factors associated with excessive daytime sleepiness in 2 First Nation communities in rural Saskatchewan.

Methods

Data for this study were from a 2012–13 baseline assessment of the First Nations Lung Health Project, in collaboration between two Cree First Nation reserve communities in Saskatchewan and researchers at the University of Saskatchewan. Community research assistants conducted the assessments in two stages. In the first stage, brochures describing the purpose and nature of the project were distributed on a house by house basis. In the second stage, all individuals age 17 years and older not attending school in the participating communities were invited to the local health care center to participate in interviewer-administered questionnaires and clinical assessments. Excessive daytime sleepiness was defined as Epworth Sleepiness Scale score > 10.

Results

Of 874 persons studied, 829 had valid Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores. Of these, 91(11.0%) had excessive daytime sleepiness; 12.4% in women and 9.6% in men. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that respiratory comorbidities, environmental exposures and loud snoring were significantly associated with excessive daytime sleepiness.

Conclusions

Excessive daytime sleepiness in First Nations peoples living on reserves in rural Saskatchewan is associated with factors related to respiratory co-morbidities, conditions of poverty, and loud snoring.

Quantitative assessment of the bidirectional relationships between diabetes and depression

Diabetes and depression impose an enormous public health burden and the present study aimed to assess quantitatively the bidirectional relationships between the two disorders. We searched databases for eligible articles published until October 2016. A total of 51 studies were finally included in the present bidirectional meta-analysis, among which, 32 studies were about the direction of depression leading to diabetes, and 24 studies about the direction of diabetes leading to depression. Pooled results of the 32 eligible studies covering 1274337 subjects showed that depression patients were at higher risk for diabetes (odds ratio (OR) = 1.34, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = [1.23, 1.46]) than non-depressive subjects. Further gender-subgroup analysis found that the strength of this relationship was stronger in men (OR = 1.63, 95%CI = [1.48, 1.78]) than in women (OR = 1.29, 95%CI = [1.07, 1.51]). For the direction of diabetes leading to depression, pooled data of 24 articles containing 329658 subjects showed that patients with diabetes were at higher risk for diabetes (OR = 1.28, 95%CI = [1.15, 1.42]) than non-diabetic subjects. The available data supports that the relationships between diabetes and depression are bidirectional and the overall strengths are similar in both directions. More mechanistic studies are encouraged to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the relationships between the two diseases.

Frequency and risk factors of depression in type 1 diabetes in a developing country

BACKGROUND

Living with type 1 diabetes, especially in developing countries, can feel overwhelming for parents and children because constant vigilance is required for proper care with an inadequacy of resources. Our aim was to investigate the frequency and risk factors of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

METHODS

The study was conducted using epidemiologic studies Depression Scale Questionnaire for Children (CES-DC) on 86 patients with type 1 diabetes from the Diabetes Clinic in Alexandria University Children's Hospital, Egypt. Logistic regression models were used to detect the predictors of depression.

RESULTS

In the current study 45 children (52.3%) had scores ≥15 indicating a depressive state. Children who had depression were found to have a significantly longer duration of diabetes (5.84±2.53 year), a higher mean total daily insulin dose (1.36±0.45 unit/kg), HbA1c level (9.84±1.75) and were less frequently treated with a basal bolus insulin regimen (35.56%); p≤0.001. A multivariate logistic regression model showed that HbA1c is the only significant predictor for depression (p<0.001). HbA1c at a cutoff point of 8.6 could predict depression in type 1 diabetic children with specificity of 71.8%, sensitivity of 78.6%, (area under the curve [AUC]=0.8) and p-value ≤0.001.

CONCLUSIONS

Children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes have high frequency of depressive symptoms in a developing country. Poor glycemic control is the most significant predictor for depression in these patients.

The antidepressant effect of melatonin and fluoxetine in diabetic rats is associated with a reduction of the oxidative stress in the prefrontal and hippocampal cortices

In the past few years possible mechanisms that link diabetes and depression have been found. One of these mechanisms is the increase in lipid peroxidation and decrease in antioxidant activity in the hippocampal and prefrontal cortices, which are brain areas involved in mood. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effect of an antidepressant and of an antioxidant on behavior and oxidative activity in brains of diabetic rats. Rats rendered diabetic after a treatment with streptozotocin (STZ) (60mg/kg) were treated with fluoxetine (15mg/kg), melatonin (10mg/kg), or vehicle for 4 weeks. All animals were tested for signs of depression and anxiety using the elevated plus maze (EPM), open field test (OFT) and the forced swim test (FST). Four groups were compared: (1) normoglycemic, (2) hyperglycemic vehicle treated, and hyperglycemic (3) fluoxetine or (4) melatonin treated rats. On the last day of the study, blood samples were obtained to determine the levels of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Also, brain samples were collected to measure the oxidative stress in the hippocampal and prefrontal cortices using the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay. The activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were also measured on the brain samples. The results show that both fluoxetine and melatonin decrease the signs of depression and anxiety in all tests. Concomitantly, the levels of HbA1c were reduced in drug treated rats, and to a greater degree in the fluoxetine group. In the cerebral cortex of diabetic rats, TBARS was increased, while the activity of CAT, GPx and GST were decreased. Fluoxetine and melatonin treatments decreased TBARS in both cortices. In the prefrontal cortex, fluoxetine and melatonin restored the activity of CAT, while only melatonin improved the activity of GPx and GST. In the hippocampus, the activity of GPx alone was restored by melatonin, while fluoxetine had no effect. These results suggest that antidepressants and antioxidants can counter the mood and oxidative disorders associated with diabetes. While these effects could result from a decreased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) remains to be established.

Non-communicable disease syndemics: poverty, depression, and diabetes among low-income populations

The co-occurrence of health burdens in transitioning populations, particularly in specific socioeconomic and cultural contexts, calls for conceptual frameworks to improve understanding of risk factors, so as to better design and implement prevention and intervention programmes to address comorbidities. The concept of a syndemic, developed by medical anthropologists, provides such a framework for preventing and treating comorbidities. The term syndemic refers to synergistic health problems that affect the health of a population within the context of persistent social and economic inequalities. Until now, syndemic theory has been applied to comorbid health problems in poor immigrant communities in high-income countries with limited translation, and in low-income or middle-income countries. In this Series paper, we examine the application of syndemic theory to comorbidities and multimorbidities in low-income and middle-income countries. We employ diabetes as an exemplar and discuss its comorbidity with HIV in Kenya, tuberculosis in India, and depression in South Africa. Using a model of syndemics that addresses transactional pathophysiology, socioeconomic conditions, health system structures, and cultural context, we illustrate the different syndemics across these countries and the potential benefit of syndemic care to patients. We conclude with recommendations for research and systems of care to address syndemics in low-income and middle-income country settings.

Prevalence and correlates of psychological distress among diabetes mellitus adults in the Jilin province in China: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Psychological disorders are common in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, and the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of psychological distress and to determine the influence factors associated with psychological distress among DM patients in the Jilin province of China.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Multistage, stratified cluster sampling was used in this cross-sectional study. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to assess psychological status with the total score of ≥4 as the threshold for psychological distress.

RESULTS

A total of 1,956 subjects with DM were included in the study. Out of this total diabetic participants, 524 (26.8%) had psychological distress. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that low educational level, divorce or separation from one's spouse, low family average monthly income, short sleep duration, being aware of DM status, and multiple co-morbidities are positively associated with psychological distress (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed a high rate of psychological distress among DM population in Jilin province. Low educational level, divorce or separation from one's spouse, low family average monthly income, short sleep duration, awareness of DM status, and multiple co-morbidities are all associated with psychological distress among our study subjects. Interventions to control these factors are needed to address the psychological problems among diabetics in Jilin Province.

Diabetes and depression in Denmark 1996-2010: national data stratified by occupational status and annual income

AIMS

To assess the socio-economic distribution of comorbid depression and diabetes among the Danish workforce using national registry data.

METHODS

Using national registers, all eligible Danish adults aged 18-59 years on 1 January 1996 were followed until 31 December 2010. Diabetes status was obtained from the Danish National Diabetes Register and information on purchase of prescription antidepressants from the Register of Medicinal Product Statistics. Data were also obtained on people's occupational status and gross annual income. The people included in the study were stratified according to their highest occupational group during the study period. Annual incomes were adjusted to 2013 levels and, using the distribution of the study population's incomes, we stratified participants into income quintiles.

RESULTS

A total of 3 434 420 individuals met the inclusion criteria at baseline, with 98 006 developing diabetes during follow-up. There were 603 498 new prescriptions of antidepressants during follow-up; 19 849 (20.3%) among people with diabetes and 583 649 (17.5%) among those without. People with diabetes in all income quintiles (risk ratio 1.65; 95% CI 1.62-1.67) and all occupational groups (risk ratio 1.70; 95% CI 1.68- 1.73) had a significantly elevated risk compared with the general population. Risk ratios were significantly higher among the lowest occupational groups and income quintiles.

CONCLUSION

Our results provide robust data underlining the associations between diabetes, depression and socio-economic status. They highlight and encourage further focus on the issue of comorbid diabetes and depression, particularly among the most disadvantaged.

Diagnosed but Not Undiagnosed Diabetes Is Associated with Depression in Rural Areas

Background: There is a lack of study on the relation between undiagnosed diabetes and depression in the general population. Methods: A total of 11,531 adults were examined using a multistage cluster sampling method to select a representative sample of individuals who were at least 35 years old. Subjects were classified into three groups: no diabetes (ND), diagnosed diabetes (DD), and undiagnosed diabetes (UD). The participants were surveyed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Results: Of all the 11,531 participants, the prevalence of depression was higher in the DD group than in the other two groups. Multi variable logistic regression analyses show that the DD group had significantly higher odds for depression compared with the ND group (p < 0.01), while the UD group showed no significant differences compared to the ND group. Subgroup analyses show that diagnosed diabetes in subjects with a lower educational level, compared with subjects with an educational level of high school or above, had higher odds for a PHQ-9 score ≥5 (p < 0.01). Conclusion: In this general population, diagnosed but not undiagnosed diabetes was significantly associated with depression. Much higher odds for depression were found among diagnosed diabetic individuals with a lower level of education.

Association between depression and diabetes amongst adults in Bangladesh: a hospital based case-control study

Methods

A matched case–control study was conducted among 591 consecutive patients with diabetes attending a tertiary hospital in Dhaka and 591 controls matched for age, sex and area of residence without diabetes not related with the index–case. Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire–9. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to examine the association between depression and diabetes.

Results

The mean age (±standard deviation) of the participants was 50.4 ± 11.4 years, with a male to female ratio of 43:57. The prevalence of depression was 45.2% and 19.8% among cases and controls, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, mild as well as moderate to severe depression were significantly associated with diabetes and independent of sociodemographic factors and co–morbidity (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.4–2.9 and adjusted OR = 6.4, 95% CI = 3.4–12.3; P < 0.001 for both).

Conclusion

The high prevalence and strong association of depression in individuals with diabetes in Bangladesh suggests that depression should be routinely screened for patients with diabetes at the clinics and that management strategies adequate for resource–poor settings need to be developed. Further research to determine the pathophysiological role of depression in the development of diabetes is merited.

The association between diabetes and depression

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the frequency of depression among Saudi patients, and to correlate between the presence of depression and type of diabetes.

METHODS

The research approach was descriptive with a convenient subject of 100 male and female patients (27 subjects with Type 1 diabetes, 29 subjects with Type 2 diabetes, and 44 subjects with gestational diabetes) from March to June 2014 at Al-Solimania Primary Health Care Center, Al-Olaya, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Patients were interviewed individually using an interview questionnaire sheet formulated by researchers to assess lifestyle items, and Beck depression inventory was used to screen for depression.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven percent of those suffering from Type 1 diabetes, and 37.9% of subjects with Type 2 diabetes were diagnosed with depression, while only 13.6% of subjects with gestational diabetes were diagnosed with depression. The results also showed that more than half of the study subjects do not comply with either glucose check, or diet regimen.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed that there is an association between diabetes and depression although the correlation between depression and diabetes is not significant, while there is significant relation with changes in body image. Patients with diabetes should be screened for depression, provided referral to appropriate social services and psychosocial support, and involvement of mental health professions when needed.

Synaptic plasticity and depression: new insights from stress and rapid-acting antidepressants

Depression is a common, devastating illness. Current pharmacotherapies help many patients, but high rates of a partial response or no response, and the delayed onset of the effects of antidepressant therapies, leave many patients inadequately treated. However, new insights into the neurobiology of stress and human mood disorders have shed light on mechanisms underlying the vulnerability of individuals to depression and have pointed to novel antidepressants. Environmental events and other risk factors contribute to depression through converging molecular and cellular mechanisms that disrupt neuronal function and morphology, resulting in dysfunction of the circuitry that is essential for mood regulation and cognitive function. Although current antidepressants, such as serotonin-reuptake inhibitors, produce subtle changes that take effect in weeks or months, it has recently been shown that treatment with new agents results in an improvement in mood ratings within hours of dosing patients who are resistant to typical antidepressants. Within a similar time scale, these new agents have also been shown to reverse the synaptic deficits caused by stress.

Chronic Diseases in North-West Tanzania and Southern Uganda. Public Perceptions of Terminologies, Aetiologies, Symptoms and Preferred Management

Background

Research has shown that health system utilization is low for chronic diseases (CDs) other than HIV. We describe the knowledge and perceptions of CDs identified from rural and urban communities in north-west Tanzania and southern Uganda.

Methods

Data were collected through a quantitative population survey, a quantitative health facility survey and focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) in subgroups of population survey participants. The main focus of this paper is the findings from the FGDs and IDIs.

Results

We conducted 24 FGDs, involving approximately 180 adult participants and IDIs with 116 participants (≥18 years). CDs studied included: asthma/chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), diabetes, epilepsy, hypertension, cardiac failure and HIV- related disease. The understanding of most chronic conditions involved a combination of biomedical information, gleaned from health facility visits, local people who had suffered from a complaint or knew others who had and beliefs drawn from information shared in the community. The biomedical contribution shows some understanding of the aetiology of a condition and the management of that condition. However, local beliefs for certain conditions (such as epilepsy) suggest that biomedical treatment may be futile and therefore work counter to biomedical prescriptions for management.

Conclusion

Current perceptions of selected CDs may represent a barrier that prevents people from adopting efficacious health and treatment seeking behaviours. Interventions to improve this situation must include efforts to improve the quality of existing health services, so that people can access relevant, reliable and trustworthy services.

Stress, diabetes, and infection: Syndemic suffering at an urban Kenyan hospital

The complexity of sickness among Kenya's urban poor cannot be dissociated from how social and health problems become syndemic. Increasingly diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are emerging among low-income populations that also are most afflicted by social stress and infection. This article examines how social stress, psychological distress, and physical illness among patients in a public hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, produce syndemic suffering, defined by lived experiences of syndemic clustering such as diabetes with depression and infection. We recruited 100 urban public hospital patients, of which half were women, and half had type 2 diabetes from June to August 2014. We administered written informed consent and collected anthropometrics and blood samples before we conducted lengthy mixed qualitative and survey interviews. We analyzed social stress in narrative interviews using content analysis and evaluated social and physical contributors to mental distress with frequency tables and logistic regression. We found that people experienced diabetes through a complex social and medical framework, where social problems were cause and consequence to psychological and physical suffering. Women's narratives revealed more social suffering as well as more mental distress and somatic symptoms, including multi-morbidities, than men's. People with diabetes reported not only concurrent anxiety and depression but also common infections, including malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. Narratives reveal how NCDs concurrent with infections, and HIV in particular, produce financial challenges for patients, especially when HIV treatment is free and patients must pay out-of-pocket for diabetes care. Future studies should investigate syndemic clustering of infections and NCDs among low-income populations at the population-level.

Prevalence of depression and its associated factors in patients with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Depression is a common feature in patients with type 2 diabetes and often remains undetected and untreated, causing increased morbidity and mortality. We explored the prevalence of co-morbid depression and its associated factors, including major life-events among patients with type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 515 patients with type 2 diabetes between September 2013 and July 2014 in a tertiary hospital in Dhaka city. We assessed depression using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) with predefined cut-off scores of 5, 10, 15 and 20 to indicate minimal, mild, moderate, moderately-severe, and severe depression. Associations between depression and its associated factors were explored using univariate and multivariate regression. Overall, 61.9% participants had depressive symptoms, and the prevalence was higher among females (70.9%) compared to males (50.6%). One-third (35.7%) of participants had mild depression and 36.2% had moderate to severe depression. In the multivariate analysis, factors significantly associated with depression were: age≤60 years (OR: 2.1, 95% CI=1.2-3.6; p≤0.006), female gender (OR=1.9, 95% CI=1.3-3.0; p≤0.002), those having 1-3 complications (OR=2.3, 95% CI=1.2-4.3; p=0.010), experienced loss of business or crop failure (OR=2.1, 95% CI=1.2-3.6; p=0.006), major family conflicts (OR=2.2, 95% CI=1.4-3.5; p≤0.001), separation or deaths of family members or divorce (OR=2.2, 95% CI=1.4-3.5; p≤0.001), and those who experienced unavailability of food or medicines (OR=2.2, 95% CI=1.0-4.5; p=0.038). Patients with diabetes, especially females, those having other complications, and major life-events should routinely be screened for symptoms of depression with adequate management of these conditions.

Diabetes mellitus and comorbid depression in Zambia

AIMS

To replicate, in Zambia, a recent global study by the WHO, which reported that the odds of depression were not increased in African people with diabetes, and to explore the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with depression.

METHODS

A total of 773 control subjects and 157 Zambian patients with diabetes completed the Major Depression Inventory and a list of demographic indicators.

RESULTS

Compared with control subjects (mean ± sd Major Depression Inventory score 15.10 ± 9.19), depressive symptoms were significantly more common in patients with diabetes (mean ± sd Major Depression Inventory score 19.12 ± 8.95; P < 0.001). ancova showed that having diabetes [F(1,698) = 16.50, P < 0.001], being female [F(1,698) = 7.35, P < 0.01] and having low socio-economic status (F(1,698) = 13.35, P < 0.001) were positive predictors of depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrary to the WHO study, we found that depression was a common comorbid health problem among Zambian people with diabetes. Clinicians should consider patients' health status, sex and socio-economic status as potential factors predicting depression.

Beyond Comorbidity: A Critical Perspective of Syndemic Depression and Diabetes in Cross-cultural Contexts

This article examines the comorbidity concept in medical anthropology. I argue that the dearth of articles on comorbidity in medical anthropology may result from the rise of syndemic theory. Syndemics recognize how social realities shape individual illness experiences as well as distribution of diseases across populations. I discuss synergistic interactions foundational to the syndemics construct through my research of depression and diabetes comorbidity in vulnerable populations from urban United States, India, and South Africa. I argue that social and economic factors that cluster with depression and diabetes alone and together exemplify the biosocial processes that are at the heart of syndemics. In doing so, I illustrate how social, cultural, and economic factors shape individual-level experiences of co-occurring diseases despite similar population-level trends. Finally, I discuss the relevance of syndemics for the fields of medicine and public health while cautioning what must not be lost in translation across disciplines.

Are estimates of socioeconomic inequalities in chronic disease artefactually narrowed by self-reported measures of prevalence in low-income and middle-income countries? Findings from the WHO-SAGE survey

BACKGROUND

The use of self-reported measures of chronic disease may substantially underestimate prevalence in low-income and middle-income country settings, especially in groups with lower socioeconomic status (SES). We sought to determine whether socioeconomic inequalities in the prevalence of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) differ if estimated by using symptom-based or criterion-based measures compared with self-reported physician diagnoses.

METHODS

Using population-representative data sets of the WHO Study of Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE), 2007-2010 (n=42 464), we calculated wealth-related and education-related concentration indices of self-reported diagnoses and symptom-based measures of angina, hypertension, asthma/chronic lung disease, visual impairment and depression in three 'low-income and lower middle-income countries'-China, Ghana and India-and three 'upper-middle-income countries'-Mexico, Russia and South Africa.

RESULTS

SES gradients in NCD prevalence tended to be positive for self-reported diagnoses compared with symptom-based/criterion-based measures. In China, Ghana and India, SES gradients were positive for hypertension, angina, visual impairment and depression when using self-reported diagnoses, but were attenuated or became negative when using symptom-based/criterion-based measures. In Mexico, Russia and South Africa, this distinction was not observed consistently. For example, concentration index of self-reported versus symptom-based angina were: in China: 0.07 vs. -0.11, Ghana: 0.04 vs. -0.21, India: 0.02 vs. -0.16, Mexico: 0.19 vs. -0.22, Russia: -0.01 vs. -0.02 and South Africa: 0.37 vs. 0.02.

CONCLUSIONS

Socioeconomic inequalities in NCD prevalence tend to be artefactually positive when using self-report compared with symptom-based or criterion-based diagnostic criteria, with greater bias occurring in low-income countries. Using standardised, symptom-based measures would provide more valid estimates of NCD inequalities.

When HIV is ordinary and diabetes new: remaking suffering in a South African township

Escalation of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among urban South African populations disproportionately afflicted by HIV/AIDS presents not only medical challenges but also new ways in which people understand and experience sickness. In Soweto, the psychological imprints of political violence of the Apartheid era and structural violence of HIV/AIDS have shaped social and health discourses. Yet, as NCDs increasingly become part of social and biomedical discussions in South African townships, new frames for elucidating sickness are emerging. This article employs the concept of syndemic suffering to critically examine how 27 women living with Type 2 diabetes in Soweto, a township adjacent to Johannesburg known for socio-economic mobility as well as inequality, experience and understand syndemic social and health problems. For example, women described how reconstructing families and raising grandchildren after losing children to AIDS was not only socially challenging but also affected how they ate, and how they accepted and managed their diabetes. Although previously diagnosed with diabetes, women illustrated how a myriad of social and health concerns shaped sickness. Many related diabetes treatment to shared AIDS nosologies, referring to diabetes as 'the same' or 'worse'. These narratives demonstrate how suffering weaves a social history where HIV becomes ordinary, and diabetes new.

Maternity care services and culture: a systematic global mapping of interventions

Background

A vast body of global research shows that cultural factors affect the use of skilled maternity care services in diverse contexts. While interventions have sought to address this issue, the literature on these efforts has not been synthesised. This paper presents a systematic mapping of interventions that have been implemented to address cultural factors that affect women's use of skilled maternity care. It identifies and develops a map of the literature; describes the range of interventions, types of literature and study designs; and identifies knowledge gaps.

Methods and Findings

Searches conducted systematically in ten electronic databases and two websites for literature published between 01/01/1990 and 28/02/2013 were combined with expert-recommended references. Potentially eligible literature included journal articles and grey literature published in English, French or Spanish. Items were screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria, yielding 96 items in the final map. Data extracted from the full text documents are presented in tables and a narrative synthesis. The results show that a diverse range of interventions has been implemented in 35 countries to address cultural factors that affect the use of skilled maternity care. Items are classified as follows: (1) service delivery models; (2) service provider interventions; (3) health education interventions; (4) participatory approaches; and (5) mental health interventions.

Conclusions

The map provides a rich source of information on interventions attempted in diverse settings that might have relevance elsewhere. A range of literature was identified, from narrative descriptions of interventions to studies using randomised controlled trials to evaluate impact. Only 23 items describe studies that aim to measure intervention impact through the use of experimental or observational-analytic designs. Based on the findings, we identify avenues for further research in order to better document and measure the impact of interventions to address cultural factors that affect use of skilled maternity care.