Association of diabetes with anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objectives Anxiety has been shown to be associated with poor outcomes in people with diabetes. However, there has been little research which has specifically examined whether diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased likelihood of co-morbid anxiety. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine whether people with diabetes are more likely to have anxiety disorders or elevated anxiety symptoms than people who do not have diabetes. Methods A systematic review was performed by three independent reviewers who searched for articles that examined the association between anxiety and diabetes in adults 16 or older. Those studies that met eligibility criteria were put forward for meta-analysis using a random-effects model. Results A total of twelve studies with data for 12,626 people with diabetes were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Significant and positive associations were found for diabetes with both anxiety disorders, 1.20 (1.10–1.31), and elevated anxiety symptoms, 1.48 (1.02–1.93). The pooled OR for all studies that assessed anxiety was 1.25 (1.10–1.39). Conclusions Results from this meta-analysis provide support that diabetes is associated with an increased likelihood of having anxiety disorders and elevated anxiety symptoms.