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Depressive symptoms common in adolescents with diabetes
In adolescents with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, symptoms of depression are common despite a low rate of depression diagnoses and treatment in these populations, according to recent findings.
Katrina J. Ruedy, MSPH, of the Jaeb Center for Health Research in Tampa, Florida, and colleagues evaluated 261 children with type 1 diabetes and 339 with type 2 diabetes aged 10 to 17 years enrolled in the Pediatric Diabetes Consortium registries to determine the frequency of depressive symptoms and the diagnosis and management of depression in this population. Participants completed the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), which is a 12-item, self-reported measure of depressive symptoms.
The researchers identified depressive symptoms in nearly twice as many participants with type 2 diabetes (22%) compared with those with type 1 diabetes (13%; P = .007); however, these symptoms were not found to be correlated with age, diabetes duration, sex, race, ethnicity or parental education level in either cohort.
In participants with type 1 diabetes, there was an association between depressive symptoms and obesity (adjusted P = .007) and low-household income (adjusted P = .02). These demographic variables were not found to be associated with type 2 diabetes.
Of 35 participants with type 1 diabetes and depressive symptoms, five were diagnosed with depression and 11 of 75 with type 2 diabetes and depressive symptoms were diagnosed as documented by medical records in the previous year.
In contrast, three participants with type 1 diabetes and eight with type 2 diabetes who received a diagnosis of depression within the previous year had no symptoms of depression on the CDI survey.
“These results provide strong support for routine screening for depressive symptoms and depression in 10- to 17-year-olds with [type 1 diabetes] and [type 2 diabetes] and appropriate referral for treatment when needed,” the researchers wrote. “The results also underscore the need for more time-efficient methods of screening that can be adopted by busy diabetes practices, such as the self-administered electronic version of the CDI developed by Corathers et al.” – by Jennifer Byrne
Disclosure: Ruedy reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.