Abstract
Background and Aim: Depression is the second most prevalent disorder seen by the doctors of the primary care. Early diagnosis and proper management of this depression significantly reduce its adverse effects. This study is aimed to determine the prevalence of major depressive symptoms among patients with type II diabetes, compare the prevalence between diabetic and non-diabetic patients and determine the associated factors.

Methods: It is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in Al Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University medical center in Riyadh, during the interval from November 2017 to January 2018. In which we used a patient health questionnaire-9 that was administered to randomly selected diabetic and non-diabetic patients. This survey included 200 diabetic type II and 241 non-diabetic participants who anonymously completed the questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS-16 and chi-square test was used to assess the statistical association.

Results: The percentage of major depression among diabetics was 38.5%, whereas it was 26% among non-diabetic participants with odds ratio of 1.7 (p = 0.007). The percentage of diabetic females suffering from major depression was higher (45%) than the percentage of diabetic males suffering from depression (32%). Diabetic patients who were living alone were more liable to have depression than those who were living with their spouses (OR 2.97; p = 0.001).

Conclusions: Over than one third of diabetics and one fourth of non-diabetics were detected to have major depressive symptoms. Diabetes type II and being single are significantly associated with the prevalence of depression.

Key words: Depression, Major depressive symptoms, type-II diabetics