Abstract
In diabetes patients, depression is correlated with diabetes-specific emotional distress, and observational studies have suggested that diabetes distress may have a greater impact on diabetes outcomes than depression itself. To examine the relative effects of change in depressive symptoms and change in diabetes distress on change in glycemic control, we conducted a diabetes self-management education intervention in 234 type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients, and measured glycemic control (HbA1c), depressive symptoms (CES-D), and diabetes distress (PAID) at baseline and 6 months. In multiple linear regression, change in depressive symptoms was not associated with change in HbA1c (P = 0.23). Change in diabetes distress was significantly associated with change in HbA1c (P < 0.01), such that a 10-point decrease in diabetes distress (which corresponds to the average change in distress in this study population) was associated with a 0.25% reduction in HbA1c. Change in diabetes distress, and not change in depressive symptoms, was associated with both short- and long-term change in glycemic control for patients with poorly controlled T2DM.
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This research was supported by National Institutes of Health grant #1R01DK060076.
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Zagarins, S.E., Allen, N.A., Garb, J.L. et al. Improvement in glycemic control following a diabetes education intervention is associated with change in diabetes distress but not change in depressive symptoms. J Behav Med 35, 299–304 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-011-9359-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-011-9359-z