Depression and Anxiety Are Common in People With Diabetes and Foot Ulcers

Living with diabetes complications—especially visible or painful ones like foot ulcers—can take a real emotional toll. Yet mental health screening doesn't always happen in specialty clinics where people with these complications are treated. A new study looked at whether screening for depression and anxiety in a podiatry clinic could help identify people struggling psychologically alongside their physical health challenges.

Researchers screened 50 patients attending a foot hospital clinic. All had active foot ulcers and either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. They used two standard screening tools: the PHQ-9 for depression and the GAD-7 for anxiety, plus questions about diabetes-specific distress.

The group was mostly men (86.7%) with an average age of 65 years. The median time since their diabetes diagnosis was about 14.5 years. Most had multiple other health conditions—the median number of comorbidities was 8, and patients were taking a median of 10 or more medications.

When screened, patients showed mild to moderate levels of depression and anxiety. Importantly, depression and anxiety scores were strongly linked to each other and also correlated with diabetes-related emotional distress. The researchers also found that younger patients tended to have higher depression and anxiety scores than older patients.

This study highlights a real connection: people dealing with diabetes foot complications often experience depression and anxiety alongside their physical health challenges. The strong link between depression, anxiety, and diabetes-specific distress suggests these experiences are interconnected rather than separate problems.

The complexity of the group studied—with multiple medications and other chronic conditions—reflects what many people with long-standing diabetes actually face in their daily lives. Understanding that mental health struggles are common in this population is a first step toward making sure people get the support they need.

This research suggests that podiatry clinics and other specialty clinics treating diabetes complications could benefit from routine mental health screening. Identifying depression and anxiety early might allow doctors to offer additional support or referrals to mental health care as part of overall treatment. A multidisciplinary approach—addressing both physical and emotional health—may help people manage the full burden of living with diabetes complications.

Source: Journal of foot and ankle research. Evidence type: PubMed indexed literature. Type1Cure is an information and intelligence hub, not a medical advice service. This article summarizes published research and does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or personal medical guidance. Always talk to your own care team before changing anything about your Type 1 diabetes management.