COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Anxiety and Depression Symptoms among Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Malecha, Emily Driscoll Kimberly A.; Shah, Viral Snell-Bergeon Janet K.; Rasmussen, Cristy Geno

The coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has caused disruption to medical care and loss of employment and medical insurance for some people with chronic diseases such as diabetes. Further, people with diabetes are at increased risk for severe Covid-19 disease. Our goal was to examine the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms related to the Covid-19 pandemic in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Psychosocial surveys were sent to 3,653 adults with T1D from the Adult Clinic at the Barbara Davis Center. Survey responses were collected from 899 adults from this population between September and October of 2020;65% of respondents were women, and the age range was 18-95 years. Overall, 5% of participants reported testing positive for the virus or having Covid-19 symptoms but not being tested. As shown in the table, overall 49% of adults reported depressive symptoms and 74% reported experiencing anxiety related to Covid-19. Women with T1D were more likely to report Covid-19 related depression and anxiety symptoms, despite similar infection rates in both sexes. Further, women were more likely than men to express concerns about obtaining diabetes care and paying for diabetes supplies during the pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a high prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms in adults with T1D, particularly among women. These data suggest a potential area for intervention to improve psychosocial health.