Objective: To evaluate the frequency of depressive symptoms and the diagnosis and management of depression in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) enrolled in the Pediatric Diabetes Consortium T1D and T2D registries.
Research design and methods: The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) 2 Self-Report (Short) version was completed by 261 T1D and 339 T2D youth aged 10-17 years.
Results: Symptoms of depression were identified in 13% of T1D and 22% of T2D (P = 0.007) participants; of these, only 4% of T1D and 9% of T2D youth were treated by a therapist within the prior 12 months. Depressive symptoms were associated with lower family income (P = 0.006) and obesity (P = 0.002) in T1D but not T2D youth.
Conclusions: Depressive symptoms are more frequent than diagnosed depression in youth with T1D or T2D. These results underscore the need for regular depression screening and appropriate referral for youth with diabetes.
© 2015 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.