Abstract:

Background: Emotional wellbeing is an important integral part of diabetes care and self-management. Poor diabetic control and early development of complications often result from presence of psychiatric disorders such as depression. Little is known about the prevalence of depression and its associated risk factors among people with diabetes mellitus attending Bugando Medical Centre. Objective: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with depression among people with diabetes attending MOPD at Bugando Medical Centre.

Methodology: In this hospital-based cross-sectional study, 200 diabetic patients attending diabetic clinic at Bugando Medical Centre were enrolled. was conducted among at BMC’s. PHQ 9 screening tool was used to assess for depression with score ≥10 indicating presence of major depression. Data were analyzed using STATA version 15. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine independent factors associated with depression.

Results: Among 200 participants, the prevalence of depression was 85%. Majority, 51.8% had minimal depression symptoms, 45.9% had mild depression and 2.3% had moderate depression. Factors associated with depression were rural residence (OR 5.87; 95% CI [1.34 – 25.66]; p-value 0.02) and presence of comorbidities (OR 5.82; 95% CI [1.93 -17.61]; p-value 0.02).

Conclusion: Prevalence of depression is high among diabetic patients at Bugando Medical Centre, Routine yearly screening for depression should be considered among diabetic patients, with emphasis on regular screening for patients with multimorbidity so as to ensure early diagnosis and management.