- With Mayo Clinic endocrinologist
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
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Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Dr. Maria Collazo-Clavell is board certified in internal medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. She is a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic and an assistant professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
The Aibonito, Puerto Rico, native has been with Mayo Clinic since 1994.
She is a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American College of Endocrinology, the American Diabetes Association and The Endocrine Society.
Dr. Collazo-Clavell is medical editor for the Web site's diabetes content and the book "Mayo Clinic on Managing Diabetes." Her clinical interests include management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, obesity and nutritional disorders.
Risk factors (1)
- Diabetes: Does alcohol and tobacco use increase my risk?
Symptoms (1)
- The 'dawn phenomenon': What causes it?
Causes (1)
- Diabetes and depression: What's the link?
Complications (2)
- Diabetes: How does it affect my liver?
- Blood sugar and mood: Any connection?
Treatments and drugs (2)
- Diabetes management: Does aspirin therapy prevent heart problems?
- Byetta: Can diabetes drug also help me lose weight?
Lifestyle and home remedies (11)
- Diabetes: Are electric blankets off-limits?
- Vegetarian diet: Can it help me control my diabetes?
- Air pollution and exercise: Is outdoor exercise risky?
- see all in Lifestyle and home remedies
Alternative medicine (1)
- Diabetes treatment: Can cinnamon lower blood sugar?
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Question
Diabetes and depression: What's the link?
What's the connection between diabetes and depression? Can diabetes cause depression?
Answer
from Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
If you have diabetes, you have an increased risk of developing depression. And if you have depression, you have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Though the relationship between diabetes and depression isn't fully understood:
- The rigors of managing diabetes can be stressful and lead to symptoms of depression.
- Diabetes can cause complications and health problems, such as diabetic neuropathy, that may worsen symptoms of depression.
- Depression can lead to poor lifestyle decisions, such as unhealthy eating, less exercise, smoking and weight gain — all of which are risk factors for diabetes.
- Depression affects your ability to perform tasks, communicate and think clearly. This can interfere with your ability to successfully manage diabetes.
The good news is that diabetes and depression can be treated together. Medications and lifestyle changes, including regular exercise, can improve both diabetes and depression.
If you have diabetes, watch for signs and symptoms of depression. These include:
- Loss of interest in normal daily activities
- Feeling sad, down or hopeless
- Problems sleeping
- Trouble focusing or concentrating
- Difficulty making decisions
- Unintentional weight gain or loss
- Feeling fatigued or weak
- Thoughts of suicide or suicidal behavior
- Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
If you think you may be depressed, seek help right away. Your doctor or diabetes educator can refer you to a mental health professional.
Next questionDiabetes: How does it affect my liver?
- Golden SH, et al. Examining a bidirectional association between depressive symptoms and diabetes. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2008;299:2751.
- Depression. American Diabetes Association. https://www.diabetes.org/type-2-diabetes/depression.jsp. Accessed June 30, 2009.
- Petrak F, et al. Treatment of depression in diabetes: An update. Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 2009;22:211.
- Lyness JM. Depression: Clinical manifestations and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 30, 2009.
- What I need to know about physical activity and diabetes. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/physical_ez/physactivity.pdf. Accessed July 1, 2009.
- Mead GE, et al. Exercise for depression. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2008:CD004366.
