A new study suggests a concerning correlation between mental health problems and diabetes. The study, conducted by Universities of Helsinki and Tampere and Helsinki University Hospital, investigated the relationship between diabetes the the risk of death due to mental health problems.

People with diabetes have an increased risk of cardiovascular events, cancer and kidney disease. However, this is not the only concerning health risk that is associated with diabetes.

One study published in the Journal of Medicine and Life in 2016, for instance, discovered that the occurrence of depression in people with diabetes is two to three times higher than in other individuals.

Many people with diabetes have spoken out about their mental health problems associated with the disease. The study suggests that these mental health issues put those with diabetes at a greater risk of death due to suicide, alcohol and accidents. Interestingly, those who required self-injecting insulin were at an even greater risk!

The pressure of monitoring and balancing glucose levels, “combined with the anxiety of developing serious complications like heart or kidney disease may also take their toll on psychological well-being.”

All of these findings speak to the fact that mental health assessment and support should play a greater role in disease management. These problems can be managed, but only if they are communicated first.

See our Psycho-social Resourse Page for mental health screening tools

To learn more: Higher risk of alcohol- and suicide-related death in diabetes – Medical News Today