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Elizabeth Lin on Diabetes and Depression

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Summary

Dr. Elizabeth Lin discusses an NIMH-funded study linking diabetes and depression. She looks at the challenges patients face… as well as action steps for greater well-being.

Transcript

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Diabetes and Depression: Managing Co-Existing Serious Illnesses: Dr. Elizabeth Lin, Group Health Research Institute, Seattle WA.
People who have both diabetes and depression are at higher risk for major health complications. That’s the finding of an NIMH-funded study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington and the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle. In this podcast, Dr. Elizabeth Lin of the Group Health Research Institute says an important take-away from this study is managing one’s health even with the challenge of co-existing conditions.

Time: 00:01:49 | Size: 1.68 MB
Speaker: Dr. Elizabeth Lin
Description: Dr. Lin talks about this NIMH-funded study linking diabetes and depression. She looks at the challenges patients face… as well as action steps for greater well-being.
 

Dr. Lin: The more research we do on diabetes and depression…the more we find how closely linked they are.

Announcer: Recently, Dr. Elizabeth Lin of the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle joined us to talk about the results of this NIMH-funded study.

Dr. Lin: It is the first long term study conducted in the general U.S. population that examines whether depression is related to developing life threatening complications of diabetes. We found that patients with diabetes and depression also are more likely to die from a wide variety of causes not just heart disease but also cancer, infections and kidney failure. Statistics tell us depression is common among the general population affecting about eight to ten of every 100 Americans. But among patients with diabetes, depression is twice as common as that. Up to 20 out of 100 people with diabetes also have depression. But the good news is that depression is quite treatable. Once depression diagnosis is made by the doctor and accepted by the patient, the patient and the doctor can decide which of the many readily available treatments, such as talk therapy or medicines will work best.

Announcer: Dr. Lin says the takeaway includes- effective management of diabetes and treatment of depression can be a lifelong connection. This is NIMH radio.