Depressive Symptoms and Quality of Life in Adolescents With Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Questionnaires assessed symptoms of depression and quality of life for 399 Ss (mean age 45 yrs old) in a psychiatric catchment area in central Sweden. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was found to be 10-20%, with the prevalence of clinical depression estimated to be 3-6%. Ss reporting symptoms of suspected depressive disorder also reported lower quality of life than those without this constellation of symptoms. A negative correlation between the number of depressive symptoms and the reported quality of life was also observed. Problems associated with the use of self-rating scales are discussed. It is suggested that, despite inherent limitations, quality of life measures might be used to monitor therapy progress and that they could be used in the early detection of individuals at risk for depression. ((c) 1997 APA/PsycINFO, all rights reserved).