Diabetes Related Distress and Depression: An Emerging Threat to Human Health

Diabetes is a disease which is intricate to manage. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), more than 415 million people have diabetes in the world, and it is predicted that the number will rise to 642 million people with diabetes by 2040.1 Treatment consists of lifestyle adaptations often combined with medication to control blood glucose levels. Despite available treatment, diabetes is often associated with complications and co-morbidities which increase the complexity of disease management even further. Complications and comorbidities are of particular concern in diabetes. Diabetes is usually accompanied by many comorbidities such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases.2 Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus also leads to the development of many micro-vascular complications such as nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy as well as macro-vascular complications such as coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease and stroke.3 These complications and co-morbidities, together with the emotional stress associated with the diagnosis of diabetes, had been linked to the development of depression and anxiety among diabetic patients.4