Quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate certain social and psychological parameters and to compare them with basic demographic information, such as the gender and the education, of patients suffering from Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study of Type 2 diabetic patients was conducted. In total, 200 patients with T2DM were enrolled in the study. Psychological factors were assessed with questionnaires, including the Symptom Checklist 90-R (SCL-90-R), the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) and the Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ). The associations of psychological with socio-demographic factors were assessed through logistic regression analyses. Findings Women patients had higher levels of heart-focused anxiety psychopathology than men, and therefore, women tend to avoid activities that burden the heart. Men patients had a significantly higher index of physical functionality than women. No differences were recorded by the SCL-90R questionnaire between men and women. For the patients with elementary education, lower levels of mental health (SF-36-MCS) were observed. Originality/value The chronicity of the disease aggravates the psychopathology of the patients thereby creating adverse impact not only on health but also on efforts for compliance. A personalized approach by the health professionals could contribute in addressing the psychological factors that accompany T2DM.