US survey data show adults with type 1 diabetes report moderate or severe symptoms of depression and generalised anxiety more often than people with type 2 diabetes or no diabetes.
Adults with type 1 diabetes are more likely than other adults to report symptoms of depression and generalised anxiety, according to a research letter published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The findings, based on U.S. National Health Interview Survey data, add to a growing body of evidence that psychological distress is common in people living with type 1 diabetes and may complicate day-to-day disease management.
Tianyu Cao of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore and colleagues analysed responses from 58,106 adults, including 326 with type 1 diabetes and 5,802 with type 2 diabetes. They found that 17.1% of adults with type 1 diabetes reported moderate or severe depressive symptoms, compared with 12.4% of those with type 2 diabetes and 6.6% of adults without diabetes. Moderate or severe symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder were reported by 16.2% of adults with type 1 diabetes, versus 8.7% among those with type 2 diabetes and 6.1% among people without diabetes.
The pattern was strongest among women, younger adults and those with less than a high school education. That result is consistent with earlier research suggesting that mental health problems and diabetes can reinforce one another. A 2006 review in Diabetic Medicine found higher rates of clinical depression in adults with diabetes than in control groups, while another study from the same year reported links between worse glycaemic control and higher anxiety and depression scores in adults with type 1 diabetes. More recent work has also pointed to elevated rates of co-existing depression and anxiety in adults with type 1 diabetes, particularly among women and younger patients.
The authors said better mental health screening is needed, especially for people at higher risk. That message aligns with broader evidence that emotional wellbeing is tightly connected to diabetes outcomes and self-management. For clinicians, the study is a reminder that care for type 1 diabetes should not focus only on glucose control, but also on the psychological burden that can shape whether treatment plans are sustainable in real life.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
