OBJECTIVE: To  determine  the  prevalence  of  depression  in  Filipino adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and the risk factors associated in its development.
METHODS: This  is  a  prospective  cross-sectional  study.  Adult  patients (age 19 and above) with type 2 DM being seen at the outpatient department of the Makati Medical Center from  January  to  March  2015  were  included,  taking  into account  the  following:  age,  gender,  marital  status,  body  mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, duration of  diabetes,  presence  of  other  co-morbid  illnesses,  pill  burden,  insulin  use,  educational  attainment,  employment  status,  family  income,  and  glycemic  status.    They  were  then screened for depression using the standardized PHQ-9 questionnaire. Bivariate analyses through Chi-square Test (for categorical variables) and Analysis of Variance (for interval/ratio variables) were used to determine which among the risk factors are significant for the development of depression.  Significant  risk  factors  were  treated  for  multivariate  and  univariate analyses through ordinal logistic regression.
RESULTS: A  total  of  110  adult  patients  with  type  2  DM  were  enrolled  in  this  study.  There  were  no  drop-outs.  Sixty-nine percent  of  the  patients  had  none  to  minimal  depression,  24% had mild depression, and 7% had moderate depression. None  of  the  patients  had  depression  that  warranted  anti-depressants  or  psychotherapy.   After  step-wise  analysis, increased  BMI,  elevated  diastolic  blood  pressure  and  uncontrolled blood sugar were found to be associated with higher  PHQ-9  scores  while  unemployment  was  associated with decreased PHQ-9 score.
CONCLUSION: The  prevalence  of  depression  among  Filipino type  2  diabetic  patients  is  higher  than  in  non-diabetic  patients. Being obese, having an elevated diastolic blood pressure, and the presence of uncontrolled blood sugar were significant predictors and were associated with an increased likelihood  of  developing  major  depressive  disorder. Being unemployed appears to have the opposite effect.