Diabetic patients are much more likely to take antidepressants

Diabetes patients take antidepressants much more often than people without the disease. This is evident from an analysis of data from Solidaris members. The psychological impact of diabetes is greater than thought, the health insurance fund concludes.

The number of patients with diabetes – especially type 2 – has increased significantly in recent decades, also in our country. Solidaris investigated the psychological impact of the disease and found that it is greater than thought. For example, data from the health insurance fund’s membership database shows that diabetics take antidepressants much more often than Solidaris members without diabetes.

In patients under 30 years of age and between 30 and 50 years of age, this is approximately twice as much. For example, around the age of 45, more than a fifth of diabetic patients take antidepressants, compared to about 12 percent of non-diabetics. The difference levels out completely around the age of 80.

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It is not clear whether there is a direct link between the use of antidepressants and diabetes diagnosis. A large proportion of patients with diabetes already have at least one other chronic condition at the time of diagnosis, says Solidaris. A third even have three or more chronic conditions. This mainly concerns cardiovascular disease or depression. It probably involves an interplay of different mutual mechanisms, Solidaris concludes.

The health insurance fund wants to investigate whether psychological support should be included as standard in the care process for diabetics.