Background:
Both diabetes and depression are considered ‘chronic’ conditions and affect an increasing number of people each year. The pilot phase of an innovative eight-session treatment program using an integrated CBT and diabetes education model was undertaken, prior to commencing a larger randomized controlled trial.
Methods:
Participants with diabetes type II were recruited from two specialist diabetes clinics in New South Wales. Screening was conducted for depressive symptoms (BDI-II), Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) Scale, psychological distress (K10) and quality of life. Those with scores >15 on BDI-II were invited to participate. Participants were evaluated on physical and psychological measures pre/posttreatment, and tracked each 2 weeks on BDI-II, PAID Scale and fasting BGL's. Data were analyzed using matched paired t-tests. Qualitative information on the acceptability of the program was gathered.
Results:
Thirteen subjects (7 men/6 women) aged 36–69 years attended sessions once a week for 8 weeks. Significant postintervention improvement was detected in depressive symptoms (P ≤ 0.001), improved diabetes knowledge (P = 0.008) reported number of PAID (P = 0.029) and psychological distress scores (P = 0.001).
Conclusions:
The ‘MADE-IT’ program marries evidence-based interventions for depression and diabetes and looks at the connections between the disorders. The program uses a small group context and has a standardized leader's manual and participant handbook to assist enhance treatment fidelity. While outcomes are positive, the sample is small and no control comparison was included. Further evaluation of the program will be undertaken with a multisite randomized controlled trial in the near future.
