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Recognizing and addressing psychological problems in people with diabetes – the relevance of minor depression and diabetes-related distress

A large body of behavioral research in diabetes has demonstrated that psychological problems are common in patients suffering this chronic condition, and that they are associated with adverse health outcomes. Depression, one of the most studied emotional problems in diabetic patients, has a clearly increased prevalence compared to that in general population, and contributes adversely to diabetes-related outcomes including glycemic control, development of diabetes complications, functional disability and premature death. Not only clinical depression but also mild depressive symptoms and emotional distress caused by diabetes may have undesirable effects on patients’ subjective and objective health. While the importance of major depressive disorder in diabetes is well established, sub-threshold depressive symptoms and diabetes-related distress seem to be insufficiently regarded in everyday clinical practice. The intervention studies which would clarify whether treating subclinical forms of psychological symptoms has positive effects on psychological- and diabetes-related outcomes are still scarce. The results of several studies in this field have indicated that addressing emotional problems within diabetes consultation, intensifying diabetes self-management education and providing patients with psycho-education on self-managing psychological difficulties, may be promising approaches.

diabetes, subsyndromal depression, diabetes-related distress

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