Caring for patients with diabetes and depression

This learning module has been accredited by the Royal College of Nursing and was last updated in 2019.

All modules are subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software.

Duration: 02:00:00 Type: CPD modules Level: Students, Qualified Nurses


Paula Mayo, Lecturer in diabetes care, School of Healthcare, University of Leeds, Leeds, England.

Short description

Explore the association between diabetes and depression, and discover potential treatment strategies.

Detailed description

As the population ages, an increasing number of people are developing long-term conditions. This is a challenge for healthcare systems in terms of funding and support, and comorbidities add to the economic burden. This learning module considers the comorbid conditions diabetes and depression, which healthcare professionals increasingly encounter in clinical practice. It explores the reasons why diabetes and depression are associated, the influencing factors, and the bidirectional causes of diabetes and depression. In addition, the effects that a diagnosis of depression might have on a person having difficulty managing their diabetes are examined, and potential treatment strategies identified.