Doctors and patients often underestimate the importance of screening for mental health problems. Unfortunately, people suffering from physical illnesses are often more susceptible to depression and other mental conditions, and the consequences can be life threatening. Today, we’ll briefly cover the problem of diabetics suffering from depression, and the risk of developing diabetes among the depressed.
The Mental Health of Diabetics
Depression is more common among diabetics than the general population. Many studies suggest that diabetes puts you at a greater risk of developing depression.
There’s clearly a harmful link between the two conditions — and a very lethal one at that. In one recent study, elderly diabetics suffering from depression were found to be nearly 40% more likely to die within a one year period than elderly diabetics who were not depressed. In different study published in Diabetes Care journal, the picture was even grimmer, and it wasn’t confined to the health of the elderly, either. If you’re depressed and diabetic, you’re health is much more vulnerable than it would be otherwise.
Does depression put you at risk of having diabetes?
Though a consensus hasn’t formed around the issue yet, some studies do suggest that having a history of depression puts you at a greater risk of developing diabetes. One study published in Diabetes Care is particularly alarming, since it shows a link between taking anti-depressant medications and developing type 2 diabetes.
It will be a while before the link between depression and diabetes is properly understood, and for now the only think you can really do is approach the matter cautiously. If you’re taking antidepressants, you may want to ask your doctor about the risk of developing diabetes.
The need for more aggressive screening practices
Diabetes and depression form a lethal mix, so doctors need to step up and start aggressively screening their diabetic patients for signs of depression. Unfortunately, only a third of diabetics with major depression are identified and treated, and this is despite the fact that depressed patients usually spend more time with their doctors. It’s imperative for people in the medical industry to rectify this issue and ensure that diabetics are properly screened for depression, and informed of it’s risks and consequences. Until then, some diabetics will be forced to screen themselves for depression, shouldering a burden which rightfully belongs to their health care providers.
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