Comorbidity Between Recent Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes and Non-Psychotic Psychiatric Disorders: Metabolic Characteristics and Clinical Correlates

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the metabolic status and clinical characteristics associated with NPPD in patients with less than five years of T2D diagnosis and explore the role of age in the presentation of psychiatric comorbidities.

Patients and methods: This was a cross-sectional study of subjects who attended a comprehensive care program. Patients were assessed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and clinical and metabolic characteristics were registered. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify risk and protective factors for psychiatric disorders. We performed an analysis to further explore age's influence on our results.

Results: We included 1953 patients, and 40.1% had any psychiatric disorder. Younger age, female sex, and personal psychiatric history were associated with NPPD. The use of insulin was reported as a protective factor for eating disorders. Body mass index was associated with any psychiatric disorders and eating disorders. The analysis of age reported that patients younger than 45 years had the worst metabolic parameters and increased odds for NPPD, while patients older than 65 years had the best metabolic measures and decreased odds for psychiatric comorbidity.

Conclusion: NPPD were frequent comorbidities in our sample; younger age, female sex, and personal psychiatric history were the most important factors associated with psychiatric comorbidities. Younger subjects experience a higher risk for psychiatric disorders and worst metabolic control.

Keywords: diabetic care; psychiatric comorbidity; psychopathology.