Diabetes Linked to Higher Depression Risk in COVID Study

What Was Studied and Why It Matters

During the first wave of COVID-19, researchers in northern Peru set out to understand how the pandemic was affecting the mental health of hospital workers. They surveyed 182 healthcare professionals across three Social Security hospitals in the Piura and Lambayeque regions — asking not just about stress, but about depression, anxiety, sleep problems, burnout, and underlying health conditions.

The findings matter beyond the hospital setting. One standout result directly affects the diabetes community: having diabetes was identified as a significant risk factor for developing depression during the pandemic.

What the Study Found

Among the 182 healthcare workers surveyed:

• 42.9% showed signs of depression
• 50.6% showed signs of anxiety

Researchers then looked at what factors made depression more likely. Several stood out:

• Having diabetes increased the likelihood of depression by 41%
• Experiencing workplace mistreatment raised the risk by 35%
• Insomnia increased depression risk by 62%
• Burnout syndrome raised the risk by 42%
• Fear of being stigmatized or avoided by neighbors doubled the risk of depression

For anxiety, the biggest drivers were worry about working in a COVID-19 environment and fear of social rejection from the surrounding community.

What This Means for People With Diabetes

While this study focused on healthcare workers, the diabetes finding echoes a well-established pattern: people living with diabetes face a significantly higher risk of depression than the general population — and that risk climbs further during times of crisis and uncertainty.

The connection works in both directions. Depression can make it harder to manage blood sugar consistently — causing people to skip medications, eat poorly, or neglect monitoring. And poorly controlled diabetes can worsen mood, energy, and motivation. During the pandemic, this cycle became even harder to break.

If you are managing diabetes and have noticed persistent low mood, loss of interest, or difficulty sleeping, it is worth talking to your doctor. Mental health is a genuine part of diabetes care, not a separate issue.

Staying on top of your physical diabetes management can also help protect your mental wellbeing. Having reliable access to your monitoring supplies — whether glucose meters, test strips, or continuous glucose monitors — reduces one source of daily stress. MDS Diabetes offers convenient home delivery of diabetes supplies so that one less thing falls through the cracks during difficult times.

Bottom Line

A Peruvian study of hospital workers found that having diabetes made depression 41% more likely during the COVID-19 pandemic. This reinforces what research has long suggested: diabetes and mental health are deeply connected, especially during stressful periods. If you live with diabetes, monitoring your emotional health is just as important as monitoring your blood sugar — and asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.