Diabetes and depression remain among the major problems of public health in the world. These diseases complicate each other. Several factors contribute to the occurrence of depression in diabetic. Thus, it would be necessary to determine them in order to prevent its occurrence.

To assess the prevalence of depression in a population of diabetics and to identify factors contributing to the occurrence of depression in diabetics.

A cross case-control study among 100 hospitalized diabetics in the department of endocrinology, Hedi Chaker hospital in Sfax Tunisia. We compared them to 100 witnesses. Then, we compared the two subgroups of depressed and non-depressed diabetics. We used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to screen for depression, the Beck Depression Inventory scale to determine the degree of its severity and the MINI to identify patients with a current major depressive episode (MDE) among depressed subjects.

The prevalence of depression was higher in diabetics (35% versus 14%). The prevalence of MDE was 71.43%. Depression was severe in 40% of cases. Comparing to the non-depressed diabetics, depressed diabetics were predominantly female and older. The duration of diabetes, mostly type 2, was longer. These subjects had more acute and chronic complications. Correlation factors of depression in diabetics were: advanced age, low socio economic level, low physical activity, stressful life event, lower limb arteritis, gastroparesis, android obesity, disturbance of lipid profile and anxiety.

Factors involved in the onset of depression in diabetic subjects should be taken into account to improve management of diabetes