Depression in diabetic patients attending University of Gondar Hospital Diabetic Clinic, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background

Diabetes mellitus, frequently associated with comorbid depression, contributes to the double burden of individual patients and community. Depression remains undiagnosed in as many as 50%–75% of diabetes cases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of depression among diabetic patients attending the University of Gondar Hospital Diabetic Clinic, Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to May 2014 among 422 sampled diabetic patients attending the University of Gondar Hospital Diabetic Clinic. The participants were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected by face-to-face interview using a standardized and pretested questionnaire linked with patient record review. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Data were entered to EPI INFO version 7 and analyzed by SPSS version 20 software. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with depression.

Results

A total of 415 diabetic patients participated in the study with a response rate of 98.3%. The prevalence of depression among diabetic patients was found to be 15.4% (95% confidence interval (CI): 11.7–19.2). Only religion (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =2.65 and 95% CI: 1.1–6.0) and duration of diabetes (AOR =0.27 and 95% CI: 0.07–0.92) were the factors associated with depression among diabetic patients.

Conclusion

The prevalence of depression was low as compared to other similar studies elsewhere. Disease (diabetes) duration of 10 years and above and being a Muslim religion follower (as compared to Christian) were the factors significantly associated with depression. Early screening of depression and treating depression as a routine component of diabetes care are recommended. Further research with a large sample size, wider geographical coverage, and segregation of type of diabetes mellitus is recommended.

Keywords:

• depression
• diabetes
• University of Gondar Hospital

Acknowledgments

Firstly, we would like to forward our deepest gratitude to the University of Gondar for ethical approval and financial support. We would like also to thank Mr Abere and Mr Yesuf Endris for their support in the process. Our gratitude and appreciation go to data collectors and study participants. We are also very grateful to UoGH Diabetic Clinic, and the staff working there for facilitating the research work to happen.

Author contributions

AMB conceived the original idea, was involved in the proposal writing, designed the study, and participated in all the implementation stages of the project. AMB also analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. BAD participated in the conception of the original idea, was involved in the proposal writing, finalized the write-up of the manuscript, and critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. FMA and TDA were responsible for critically revising the research proposal and the manuscript, and participated in its design and interpretation. SAB was involved in the design of the work and approved the version to be published. All the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.