The prevalence of depression and anxiety in adults with Type 1 diabetes

Aim The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in a large UK group of people with Type I diabetes. Methods Patients aged 16-60 years were invited to complete self-report questionnaires when they attended outpatient clinic appointments. HbA(1c) was recorded from the clinic database. Results Analysis was based on 273 complete questionnaires. The mean scores for both anxiety (mean 6.4, SD 4.5) and depression (mean 3.4, SD 3.5) were consistent with normative data. Females reported significantly higher mean anxiety than males, although neither reached the criterion for 'caseness'. Significant differences to the norm were observed for the percentages reporting moderate to severe levels of depression in males (chi(2) = 6.44; d.f. = 2; P = 0.04) and moderate to severe levels of anxiety in females (chi(2) = 7.47; d.f. = 2; P = 0.02). HbA(1c) was positively correlated with HADS scores (anxiety r = 0.2, P = 0.001, depression r = 0.14, P = 0.02). Conclusions While there is no significant difference in the mean anxiety or depression in this cohort compared with those reported for a non-diabetic, healthy population, the results suggest that there is an increased prevalence of clinically relevant anxiety in females and of depression in males with Type I diabetes when compared with the normative data.