Abstract:
Background. Research focusing on the psychological aspect of diabetes is limited in Sri Lanka. Aim. Determine the prevalence
of depression among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) attending an out-patient clinic at a tertiary care hospital
in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among patients diagnosed with
T2DM. Pregnant and patients with a prior psychiatric history were excluded. Depression assessed using validated Sinhala and
Tamil version of the Beck’s Depression Index. Sociodemographic data and health related data were obtained from interviewerbased questionnaires and health records. Results. Of the 3000 patients, 72.7% were female. Mean age was 58.3 ±10.3 years and mean
duration of diabetes 10.8 ± 7.3 years. Percentage of depression was 5.9% in the entire patient population with mild, moderate, and
severe depression in 4.0%, 1.6%, and 0.3%, respectively. In multiple logistic regression, depression was signifcantly associated with
female gender (OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.26-5.46; P=0.009), living without a spouse (single/divorced/widowed) (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.12-2.98;
P=0.01), lower education level (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.14-3.22; P=0.01), and peripheral neuropathy (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.00-3.18; P=0.04).
Only 13.3% of the respondents said that doctors have ever inquired to their mental well-being. Conclusion. Depression was low
in prevalence comparative to neighboring countries in the region. Patients were much more afected by the social factors than
disease related factors. An individualized holistic approach taking psychosocial issues to consideration should be focused in the
comprehensive plan of management.
