Publications

Abstract

Context: 

Studying depression and anxiety among patients with type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension will determine if routine screening for these conditions is necessary.

Aims: 

Our aim was to estimate the prevalence and compare factors associated with depression and anxiety among adults aged 30 years or more, with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension.

Settings and Design: 

A cross-sectional and comparative study conducted at a rural South Indian hospital.

Subjects and Methods: 

Adults aged ≥30 years with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension were recruited and the study was undertaken between September and November 2021.

Statistical Analysis Used: 

Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and logistic regression were used to analyze the sociodemographic factors and compare depression and anxiety between groups, with significance set at P < 0.05.

Results: 

Of the total 217 subjects, 111 had neither diabetes or hypertension and 106 had diabetes and/or hypertension. The mean age of the study participants was 48.1 (±14.6) years, with 122 (56.2%) identifying as males. One hundred and sixteen (53.5%) of the subjects belonged to a nuclear family and 135 (62.2%) were married. Of the total, 47 (21.7%) were found to be depressed and 55 (25.3%) were found to have anxiety. There was significant association with respect to depression (P = 0.001) and anxiety (P < 0.001) between the two groups.

Conclusions: 

The strong statistical association in our study emphasizes the clinical importance of integrating mental health assessments into routine management of diabetes and hypertension. Implementing routine screening could facilitate earlier identification and intervention, potentially improving overall patient well-being and disease management.