Epidemiology of Depression and its Relationship to Diabetes in India

Depression is one of the most common chronic mental illnesses globally and in India. It has been reported that depression is twice as common in individuals with type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of both depression and type 2 diabetes are rapidly increasing. This article reviews the prevalence of depression in the general population as well as in patients with type 2 diabetes and its complications with special reference to recent data from India. It also makes a case for screening for depression in diabetes clinics and integrating depression treatment with diabetes care in order to make the treatment more wholistic