Comorbidity of Depression and Anxiety: Association with Poor Quality of Life in Type 1 and 2 Diabetic Patients

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is associates with depression and impairment in Quality of Life (QoL). OBJECTIVE: The objective is to define the frequencies of depressive and anxiety symptoms in a sample of patients diagnosed with type 1 and 2 diabetes, the amount of impairment of QoL and the weight of depression and anxiety in determining the QoL in such of patients. METHODS: A total of 210 patients were divided into two groups (type 1 and type 2). Patients completed the HADS and WHOQoL-bref. RESULTS: Groups showed a high prevalence of anxiety (type 1 = 60%, type 2 = 43.8%) and depression (type 1 = 52.4%, type 2 = 38.1%), both measures were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in diabetes type 1 patients. Type 1 patients also showed a QoL in the overall assessment and the physical, psychological and social relations domains. In both Type 1 and 2 diabetes poor QoL was found associated by anxiety and depression comorbidity. CONCLUSION: In overall diabetes patients depression and anxiety seems to be a determinant of poor QoL.