Diabetes itself doesn't up risk of depression

Although people with diabetes have a higher risk of being diagnosed with depression than other people, a large new study has found that much of that increase can be accounted for by their more frequent contacts with the medical system, rather than the diabetes itself.
"Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that having a diagnosed chronic condition increases the frequency of a depression diagnosis," write Dr. Patrick J. O'Connor of Health-Partners Research Foundation in Bloomington, Minnesota, and his colleagues. "Our data suggest, however, that patients with diabetes are no more affected by this susceptibility than patients with other chronic conditions who have frequent outpatient visits."
Previous research had suggested a higher likelihood of being depressed among diabetic individuals, O'Connor and his team write in their report, while other studies have had mixed results. One analysis of 42 studies found that people with diabetes were twice as likely to have depression than non-diabetics, they point out in the Annals of Family Medicine.
But few studies of the issue have accounted for the number of primary care visits that patients make, O'Connor and his team add, which could influence both whether or not a person had diabetes and whether they were diagnosed with and treated for depression.
Source: Annals of Family Medicine