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Assessment of self-care and mental health in patients with diabetes mellitus in Primary Healthcare
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Keywords

Diabetes mellitus
Anxiety
Depression
Self-care
Primary health care

How to Cite

Assessment of self-care and mental health in patients with diabetes mellitus in Primary Healthcare. (2026). Revista Eletrônica Acervo Científico, 26, e24800. https://doi.org/10.25248/reac.e24800.2026

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Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and to identify their relationship with self-care and individual and socioeconomic factors. Methods: A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire to screen for anxiety symptoms, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess the risk of depression, and the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Questionnaire (SDSCA) were applied. Results: Seventy-eight people with DM, followed in primary healthcare by the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), were evaluated. Of these, 50.0% presented some degree of anxiety, and 25.6% clinically relevant anxiety. Some degree of depression was identified in 48.7% of the participants, and clinically relevant depression in 25.6%. The correlation coefficient between the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores was high (ρ = 0.7110; p < 0.0001). The scores of the GAD-7, PHQ-9, and SDSCA questionnaires correlated with BMI, the number of comorbidities, and self-reported general health status. Conclusion: The questionnaires used are simple to apply and assist in planning comprehensive care for people with diabetes mellitus who are followed up in primary healthcare within the SUS.

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