Naslov
Should we expect gender differences in reporting of depressive symptoms and seeking of professional help among diabetic patients?

Autori
Pibernik-Okanović, Mirjana ; Ajduković, Dea ; Šekerija, Mario ; Poljak, Ivona ; Hermanns, Norbert

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Diabetologia / Zierath, Juleen - : Springer, 2011, S390-S390

Skup
47th EASD Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes

Mjesto i datum
Lisabon, Portugal, 12.09.2011. - 16.09.2011

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
diabetes; screening; gender differences; depressive symptoms

Sažetak
Background and aims: Research data have shown that depressive symptoms are prevalent in persons with diabetes. Women with diabetes exhibit higher rates of depressed mood than diabetic men. Data from the general population indicate that women are more likely to seek professional help regarding their mental health. However, research on the differences between diabetic men and women in seeking help for depression is scarce. This study was aimed at examining gender differences in responding to depression screening, reporting depressive symptoms and expressing a need for professional help in a large sample of Croatian persons with diabetes. Materials and methods: One thousand and six hundred Type 2 diabetic patients were extracted from the database of patients treated at a tertiary diabetes clinic in an urban setting. They were screened for depressive symptoms by using the two-item Patient Health Questionnaire-Depression (PHQ-2) accompanied by an additional question inquiring into their need to receive professional help. The questionnaire was sent to the recipients by surface mail containing an envelope for a pre-paid reply. Demographic and disease- related data were collected from patients' medical records. Response rate, prevalence of depressive symptoms and the need for professional help were compared in female versus male respondents by using χ2 test (chi-square test). Disease-related characteristics were compared between depressed and non-depressed groups by t-test. Results: The response rate of 42% was obtained, yielding a sample size of n=674 (49% female, aged 62±2 years, with HbA1c of 7.1±1.3, and BMI of 29.9 kg/m2±4.7). Forty-seven percent of the responder sample reported experiencing at least one of the depressive symptoms, while 35% reported both symptoms. Of the responders, 45% reported low mood and 37% a lack of interest and pleasure. The need for receiving professional help was expressed by 78% patients burdened by depressive symptoms. No gender differences were observed either in the response rate (χ2 =0.02, p=0.90, the presence of depressive symptoms (χ2 =0.35, p=0.84), or the expressed need to receive professional help (χ2 =0.19, p=0.66). Patients with depressive symptoms as compared with symptom-free patients had higher BMI (30.2±4.9 vs 29.3±4.5, p=0.03). HbA1c values were shown to be nearly significantly higher in patients with elevated depressive symptoms (7.2% ±1.3 vs 7%±1.3, p=0.07). Other metabolic parameters including total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL and albumin/creatinine ratio did not differ between the groups (all p’s>.05). Conclusion: Unexpectedly, no differences were found between female and male persons with diabetes in responding to depression screening, reporting depressive symptoms and expressing a need for professional help. Further research is needed to clarify whether these data are due to self- selection inherent to the screening process or they reflect specific features in persons with diabetes.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kliničke medicinske znanosti, Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita, Psihologija

POVEZANOST RADA