Endocrine Abstracts

Background: The number of patients with type 2 diabetes with mental problems will increase in the coming years¹. The fight against diabetes cannot be reduced only to the competent prescription of medications, but should be carried out comprehensively taking into account numerous barriers.

Aims: The objective of this study was to investigate prevalence and impact of anxious and depressive reactions among persons living with type 2 diabetes in Belarus to improve the support system for diabetic patients.

Method: Screening for type 2 diabetes was done in different population groups. A total of 90 participants with previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes and 90 adults without diabetes were recruited. The GAD-7 scale and the PHQ-9 scale were used to determine the level of anxious reactions and the level of depressive reactions; glycated hemoglobin was used to analyze the effectiveness of the hypoglycemic therapy.

Results: Of the 90 patients examined, more than 70% showed anxiety reactions and 45% showed depressive reactions. Patients with anxiety and depressive reactions had poor self-care skills and had poor glycemic control. Of the total diabetic patients only minority had adequate blood glucose testing practices.

Discussion: We cannot do without new pharmacological treatments for diabetes. But if you look at the entire success story of diabetology, it becomes clear that this is not enough. The North Karelia Project² was able to achieve results in the fight against cardiovascular diseases when pharmacological discoveries did not reach modern heights. And this means that 1) an integrated approach in the treatment of chronic diseases can bring good results; 2) the impact on society as a whole, can change the behavior of even weakly motivated patients; 3) with an integrated approach to the treatment of diabetes, it is important to consider the psychological status of patients.

References

1. Semenkovich K, Brown ME et al. Depression in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Prevalence, Impact, and Treatment. Drugs. April 2015 75(6) 577–587.

2. Jousilahti P, Laatikainen T, Salomaa V, et al. 40-Year CHD Mortality Trends and the Role of Risk Factors in Mortality Decline: The North Karelia Project Experience. Global Heart. June 2016 11(2) 207–212.

Keywords: anxious, depression, diabetes education, psychotherapy empowerment, self-management, care management, chronic care, diabetes mellitus, disease management program.