Prevalence of Depression in adults with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the Middle East countries and the factors associated with it: A systematic review

Abstract

Aims and Objectives: This study aims to assess the prevalence of depression in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Middle East countries and the factors associated with it. Method: This narrative systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review guidelines. Studies published from January 2000 to December 2020 were retrieved through database search engines from PubMed, EMBASE, Medline Ovid, and Google Scholar. Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for prevalence studies was used to assess the quality of the studies. Results: A total of 12 studies were retrieved from search databases from 8 different countries in the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, and Palestine, and the data are summarized in narration. The prevalence of depression in type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Middle East is found to be fairly high ranging from 17% to 74.4%. Egypt has the highest prevalence of depression whereas UAE has the lowest. Female gender, uncontrolled glycemia, and diabetic complications are the major predictors of depression in type 2 diabetics. Longer duration of diabetes, low education, low socioeconomic status, physical inactivity, and insulin users are among other associated factors. Conclusion: The prevalence of depression in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Middle East countries is high with a wide-ranging difference. The factors associated with the development of depression in type 2 diabetes need to be addressed and taken care of. Lack of meta-analysis is the major limitation of this study that could be considered for future reviews. Keywords: depression, adults, type 2 diabetes mellitus, Middle East