Suicidal Ideation and Depression in Hospitalized Patients With Metabolic Syndrome

The increase in the global prevalence of metabolic syndrome has become a major public health problem. Few studies have been conducted on the relationship between psychiatric disorders and metabolic syndrome in Iran; therefore, we investigated the association between depression and suicidal ideation amongst patients with metabolic syndrome.

 This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of depression and suicidal ideation among 150 patients with metabolic syndrome referred to the Endocrinology Department of Afzalipour General Hospital, Kerman City, Iran, in 2019. The study data were obtained using the Beck scale for suicide ideation, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and demographic information questionnaire. The last hemoglobin (Hb) A1C test, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), cholesterol, triglyceride test, and waist circumference were gathered according to ATP III guidelines. Analyses of variance, the t test, the Pearson test, multiple regression, and the Spearman test were performed for statistical analyses.

 About 52.6% of participants were male, 87.3% were married, and 77.4% lived in the city. Also, 59.4% had depression, and suicidal ideation was prevalent among them: 50% of the samples had suicide ideation, and 8% were ready to commit suicide. There were significant positive correlations between suicide ideation and mean age, duration of illness, BMI, mean HbA1C level, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and depression, but there was a significant negative correlation between suicide score and HDL level.

Awareness of these factors can help identify high-risk people. It is suggested that particular consideration be given to the various dimensions of psychiatric issues related to people with metabolic syndrome.