Mental Health in the Era of COVID-19: Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in a Cohort of Patients with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes During the Social Distancing

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of mental health disorders in patients with diabetes during the social distancing period due to COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study developed to assess the impact of social distancing on a cohort of adults with type 1 (n=52) and type 2 diabetes (n=68) in Brazil. Inclusion criteria involved having an HbA1c test collected in the past three months and having a valid telephone number in electronic medical records. The primary outcome was the prevalence of minor psychiatric disorders, assessed by survey (SRQ-20). Secondary outcomes included the prevalence of diabetes related emotional distress, eating and sleeping disorders, all assessed by validated surveys at the moment of the study. Statistical analyses included unpaired t -test for continuous variables and χ2 test for categorical variables. RESULTS: Overall (n=120), participants had a mean age of 54.8 ± 14.4 years-old, and HbA1c of 9.0 ± 1.6% (75 ± 17.5 mmol/mol); 93% of patients showed signs of current mental suffering based on the surveys measured. Almost 43% of patients had a positive screening for minor psychiatric disorders, with a significant greater tendency in patients with type 2 diabetes. The presence of diabetes related emotional distress was found in 29.2% of patients; eating disorders in 75.8%; and moderate/severe sleeping disorders in 77.5%. CONCLUSIONS: We found a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders among patients with diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic and this highlights the need for mental health access and support for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.FUNDING STATEMENT: This work was supported by FIPE (Fundo de Incentivo à Pesquisa e Eventos) of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. This work was conducted with support from Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Médicas em Endocrinologia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Faculdade de Medicina da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul and Hospital São Lucas da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul.DECLARATION OF INTERESTS: No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported. ETHICS APPROVAL STATEMENT: The institutional ethics committee approved the study protocol (number 4.029.368), and all authors signed the confidentiality document for data use.