Mental health comorbidities in adolescents and young adults with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

BackgroundScreening for mental health comorbidities is recommended in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with diabetes. There is a paucity of data on mental health comorbidities in AYAs with type 2 diabetes (T2D). ObjectiveTo assess rates of depression, suicidal ideation, and diabetes distress (DD) in AYAs with T2D overall and by sociodemographic and clinical factors. MethodsAYAs with T2D ages 13–21 years seen in a pediatric diabetes clinic between March 2018 and June 2019 completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression screening and the Problem Areas in Diabetes – teen version (PAID-T) survey to assess DD. Chi-square tests were used to assess whether rates of depression and DD were associated with participant characteristics. ResultsThe sample consisted of 64 AYAs with T2D (58% female, mean age 15.8 ± 2.0 years, mean HbA1c 8.3% ± 2.6%, mean BMI z-score 2.2 ± 0.6, 59% on insulin). Overall, 31% of participants had high depression and/or DD. Twenty-two percent of participants reported high depressive symptoms and 9% endorsed suicidal ideation on the PHQ-9. There were no differences in rates of depression by sociodemographic factors. Twenty-three percent of participants reported high DD. Rates of DD were higher among those on insulin (p = 0.014) and on public health insurance (p = 0.014). ConclusionsAlmost 1 in 3 AYAs with T2D endorsed depression and/or DD. Our findings support the importance of mental health screening in AYAs with T2D, as well as the need for strategies to address psychological comorbidities in this population.