Depression with diabetes: Decisive treatment barrier [Depression bei Diabetes: Entscheidende Behandlungsbarriere]

There is a bidirectional interrelationship between diabetes and depression. Depressive patients have a higher risk for manifestation of type 2 diabetes and diabetic patients have a higher risk for depression compared to the general population. The prognosis for diabetes is negatively influenced by the additional presence of depression in an accumulative manner, which equally affects patients with a clinically manifest depression as those with a subthreshold depression. This is true for the self-treatment behavior, glycemic control, quality of life, late complications and mortality. A regular screening for depression is therefore recommended for diabetes patients in order to detect depression as early as possible. The reduction of depressive symptoms, the increase of well-being and a better self-treatment behavior and glycemic control are the main goals of depression therapy. © 2014, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.