Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depression among Type 2 Diabetes Patients on Follow-up at Referral Hospital in Rwanda

Despite substantial evidence showing that diabetes and psychiatric disorders influence each other in multiple ways, these two issues remain largely unstudied in Rwanda.  This study therefore, was aimed to determine the predictors of depression, and the moderating factors of its association with glycaemic level.
A convenient sample of 96 patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) (MA=55, SD=11.63) from Butare University Teaching Hospital (CHUB) was selected for participation in this institutional based cross-sectional study. Data were collected using the standardized measures of mental disorders and social support, and analyzed using the IBM SPSS version 28.
Results indicated that 83.34% of the sample had clinical levels of moderate to severe depression. Its associated factors were glycemic levels (b=.74, p˂.001), psychiatric symptoms (b=.46, p˂.05), gender and self-esteem (b=-.25, p˂.05). Notably, self-esteem (b=.79, p =.0001), psychiatric symptoms (b=.90, p=.000), gender (b=-.32, p=.001), and poverty (b=.38, p=.00001) were significant moderators of the associations between glycemic level and depression symptoms.
Our findings highlight the factors of depression, and the moderators of the relationship between glycemic level and depression among patients with T2D. These findings will inform both endocrinologist and mental health professionals about the associations that should be monitored, and issues to be addressed to avoid worsening of glycemic control and depression.