Psychiatric disorders in diabetes mellitus patients attending a tertiary health institution in north-eastern Nigeria

Psychiatric disorders are common sequelae of diabetes mellitus and can further worsen the clinical state and quality of life of patients. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and pattern of psychological illnesses in patients with diabetes mellitus and to assess factors that predict these psychiatric disorders. The mental health of 114 eligible consenting adult patients with diabetes mellitus attending the diabetic clinic of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital was assessed using Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the study respondents was 39.5% and the pattern of diagnoses found were Major Depressive Disorder (31.6%), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (6.1%) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (1.8%). None of the sociodemographic variables was significantly associated with the presence of psychiatric disorders. The presence of diabetic complications (OR=2.519; 95% CI=1.056-6.001; P-value=0.037) was predictive of psychiatric disorders while good sugar control (OR=0.372; 95% CI=0.162-0.854; P-value=0.020) was a significant protective factor. A notable proportion of patients with diabetes mellitus develop mental health problems which can worsen the clinical outcome and further increase the burden of this illness. Efforts to promptly identify and manage these comorbid psychological problems can improve the prognosis of these patients.