Diabetes and Depression
If you are one of the 300,000 Iowans with diabetes, odds are you also suffer from clinical depression, whether it’s diagnosed or not. And conversely, if you’re depressed, your chance of developing type 2 diabetes is higher.
So what’s that all about? What does diabetes have to do with depression?
According to the Mayo Clinic, the effect cuts both ways. The stress of managing symptoms of diabetes can lead to or worsen the symptoms of depression, and being depressed affects your motivation to eat well, exercise and refrain from smoking — all important in avoiding or managing diabetes.
There are several local services that offer help with both of these conditions. The program Diabetes Self-Management Education runs for four weeks and is available at the Dallas County Hospital (in English and Spanish) for $10 and at the West Lakes Hy-Vee for $135. They can bill insurance for this cost.
Other options are Better Choices, Better Health, which is free and offered by Mercy; the 10-week Hy-Vee Begin program for $200, with a health coach and dietician; and Everyone with Diabetes Counts, which is free through Telligen.
Additionally, Senior Life Solutions offers a support group for older adults managing depression and chronic diseases such as diabetes. It is free to those eligible — they can bill insurance– and transportation to the sessions is provided. This group meets at the Dallas County Hospital, and they have just added a Spanish session.
Contact Health Navigation at 515-465-2483 or phn@dallascountyiowa.gov for more information on enrolling in any of these helpful programs.
According to the American Diabetes Association, besides the 300,000 Iowans diagnosed with diabetes, 810,000 more are pre-diabetic or at risk for diabetes. That’s 35 percent of our state population with blood glucose levels higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. To learn more about diabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association website.
Finally, there is an abundance of information on managing the two conditions of diabetes and depression on the Mayo Clinic website, including the topics of self-management, psychotherapy, medications and lifestyle changes and collaboration between your various healthcare providers.
Ann Cochran is the health navigation coordinator in the Dallas County Public Health Department.
