Psychological distress was significantly associated with diabetes, while hypertension was significantly associated with age, in a nationally representative sample of South Africans.
Cross-Sectional
Are psychological distress and alcohol use associated with diabetes and hypertension in a nationally representative sample of South Africans?
Psychological distress is significantly associated with diabetes, but not hypertension, in a nationally representative sample of South Africans, highlighting the potential value of psychiatric screening in diabetic patients.
This study examines the associations between symptoms of mental disorders and diabetes and hypertension in a nationally representative sample of South Africans. We examined unadjusted and adjusted associations of socio-demographic characteristics, alcohol use and psychological distress with diabetes and hypertension. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that hypertension is significantly associated with age, while diabetes is significantly associated with age, population group and psychological distress. The association between psychological distress and diabetes found here suggests the usefulness of additional research using more detailed measures of psychiatric disorders in local studies and reinforces clinical calls for attention to psychiatric screening in patients with diabetes.
Human Sciences Research Council (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Diabetes and hypertension. Psychological distress and alcohol use was evaluated on Diabetes and hypertension. Psychological distress was significantly associated with diabetes, while hypertension was significantly associated with age, in a nationally representative sample of South Africans.