Depression Care must for Diabetics

A recent study has shown that diabetes patients in their advanced stages sometimes fall prey to heavy depression. Depression sure is a matter of concern. It is to be seen that such patients do not succumb to depression as it can have very bad irreversible effects at times. Some may think that very advanced treatment for depression may result in high costs but that is not the case. Treatment for depression when compared to the cost incurred for usual treatment is just about insignificant and would not turn into a financial burden for the family. Treatment for depression is highly recommended and is something which should not be ignored.

Approximately 12% of the patients suffer from depression and they are mainly those people who suffer from many other complications that diabetes has got along with it. It also happens to those people who tend to ignore doctor’s advice and do not follow a proper exercise routine and incorporate an imbalanced diet and along with this are unable to give up the smoking habit. People who are very ill diabetic cases and those who have various other complaints due to the disease affecting other parts of the body are generally those who end up being depressed. All these factors put together can at times lead to severe depression cases. Clinical trials have put diabetic patients under two groups of usual care and also that of an intervention program. In the intervention program, patients were made aware of depression and the behavioral tendencies of such patients. They were also given the freedom to choose between taking anti-depressant drugs and therapy. The study was undertaken for a period of one year and the cost incurred has been considered for a 5 year period.

The results have been quite encouraging and have revealed that those patients in the intervention program have shown far greater improvement than those in the usual care program. The cost incurred has been a serious matter that has been looked into and it was noted that the cost difference between the two programs was negligible. It has also been recommended that the hospitals and health centers improve their resources related to depression care. It has also been recommended that at first the depression care treatment be provided to patients those who are in the advanced stage of diabetes and those are said to be severe cases of depression. It is a situation where requisite treatment should be made available at the earliest.