Symptoms of depression among patients attending a diabetes care clinic in rural western Kenya

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa is rising, but its relationship to depression is not well-characterized. This report describes depressive symptom prevalence and associations with adherence and outcomes among patients with diabetes in a rural, resource-constrained setting. METHODS: In the Webuye, Kenya diabetes clinic, we conducted a chart review, analyzing data including medication adherence, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), clinic attendance, and PHQ-2 depression screening results. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that depression is common among people with diabetes in rural western Kenya, which may profoundly impact diabetes control and treatment adherence.