The Relationship Between Diabetes Distress and Clinical Depression With Glycemic Control Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To clarify previous findings that diabetes distress is related to glycemic control and self-management whereas measures of depression are not, using both binary and continuous measures of depression. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Four hundred and sixty-three type 2 patients completed measures of diabetes distress (Diabetes Distress Scale [DDS]) and clinical depression (Patient Health Questionnaire 8 [PHQ8]). PHQ8 was employed as either a binary (≥10) or continuous variable. Dependent variables were A1C, diet, physical activity (PA), and medication adherence (MA). RESULTS The inclusion of a binary or continuous PHQ8 score yielded no differences in any equation. DDS was significantly associated with A1C and PA, whereas PHQ8 was not; both DDS and PHQ8 were significantly and independently associated with diet and MA. CONCLUSIONS The lack of association between depression and glycemic control is not due to the use of a binary measure of depression. Findings further clarify the significant association between distress and A1C.