Study on the correlation between quality of life, depression, anxiety, and stress in patients diagnosed with diabetes

Abstract

Background: Mental health issues in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) gradually affect their cognitive, physical, social interactions, and cultural aspects, which negatively impact their quality of life. Evaluating the relationship between the quality of life in individuals with diabetes and their mental health problems is essential to enhance the multidisciplinary team approach to care services, which serves as the rationale for our study. Aim: To examine and compare the quality of life and certain mental health aspects in patients diagnosed with diabetes. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted using a cross-sectional study design based on the Endocrine Department of Songinokhairkhan District General Hospital. The study included a sample size of 352 diabetic patients, calculated with a 95% confidence interval and 10% error margin, based on the number of diabetic patients receiving care in the district. Informed consent was obtained from all participants, and data collection was carried out between April and June 2024. The quality of life in diabetes patients was assessed using the Mongolian version of the Clinical Brief Questionnaire for Diabetes Quality of Life. Depression, anxiety, and stress levels were evaluated using the DASS21 questionnaire. The correlation between the quality of life and depression, anxiety, and stress levels in diabetic patients was analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 21 software, and p-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The average age of participants was 53.4±12.1 years. Of the participants, 47.7% were male and 52.3% were female. Regarding diabetes types, 7.4% had Type 1 diabetes, 90.6% had Type 2 diabetes, and 2% had other forms of diabetes. The duration since diagnosis was under one year for 24.7%, 2-5 years for 23%, 6-9 years for 18.2%, and 10 or more years for 34.1% of participants. The average quality of life score during diabetes was 38.7±8.9. When assessing the occurrence of depression among participants, 52.31% were found to be depressed, while 47.69% were not. For anxiety, 59.38% exhibited anxiety symptoms, while 40.62% did not. Regarding stress, 65.23%of participants experienced stress, while 34.77% did not. The quality of life during diabetes was positively correlated with depression (r=0.159, p=0.003), while anxiety (r=0.200, p=0.000) and stress (r=0.219, p=0.000) were weakly correlated with quality of life. Conclusion: The quality of life in diabetic patients was below average. More than half of the participants exhibited depression, anxiety, and stress. There was a weak correlation between the quality of life in diabetes and mental health issues. (r=0.179, p<0.001)