Cognitive Status, Depression, and Drug Adherence in Type II Diabetes Patients in 2016

Psychological and psychiatric consequences are important factors affecting medication adherence and improved quality of life in diabetic patients. However, prevalence of these disorders is unclear. In this study, cognitive status, depression, and drug adherence of type 2 diabetes patients are discussed.
In this descriptive analytical study, 105 patients with type 2 diabetes referred to Birjand diabetes clinic were selected through randomized sampling. The data collection tools included a demographic form, Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS), Number Connection Test (NCT) that measures cognitive function, and Beck Depression Inventory. Data was analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS, version 16.
In the present study, 88.2% of women and 91.9% of men showed low medication adherence. In the majority of the patients, depression was found, while 36.8% of women and 13.5% of men had severe depression. Regarding cognitive disorders, some degrees of cognitive disorders were observed in most of the patients.
In this study, diabetic patients had poor medication adherence and showed some degrees of cognitive disorders and depression. Therefore, serious attention should be paid to their blood glucose monitoring. Furthermore, effective training programs with new methods of education should be considered by healthcare providers, and these patients should be monitored regularly regarding cognitive disorders and depression problems, which might affect their learning and self-care behaviors.