The Effects of Some Psychological Comorbidities and Diabetes: A Review Article

Diabetes is a major cause of morbidity, mortality and increased health care costs, worldwide. In case of co-occurrence with stress, depression and anxiety, the extent and severity of diabetes may be intensified. The high prevalence of psychological problems in diabetic individuals has negatively affected the prognosis of diabetes. Accordingly, the present retrospective study was performed to evaluate the comorbidity of diabetes and certain psychological problems such as stress, depression and anxiety. In this study, literature search method was applied to review the published research. Online databases were searched to find relevant articles and studies. The obtained results showed that the comorbidity of psychological problems and diabetes reduced metabolic control and quality of life, decreased adherence to an appropriate diet and medical regimens, increased healthcare costs and use of insulin, and gave rise to the adverse side-effects of diabetes, morbidities, and mortality. According to the results, screening diabetic patients for common psychological problems such as stress, depression and anxiety and implementing strategies such as stress-management training and depression/anxiety treatment seem necessary for enhancing patients’ adaptation and quality of life.