Treatment patterns and resource use among patients with comorbid diabetes mellitus and major depressive disorder.

Objective: To descriptively analyze patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and medical resource use of individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) with and without comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD).

Research Design And Methods: Using an administrative claims database, commercially insured adults diagnosed with DM were studied over the calendar years 2005 and 2006. Demographic characteristics, comorbid illnesses, medication use, resource utilization, and costs were examined descriptively among patients with DM both with and without comorbid MDD.

Results: Patients with DM and MDD were found to have a high resource burden, compared to patients with DM without MDD. Specifically, these patients were found to be more likely to be diagnosed with other comorbid medical conditions, to use multiple medications, and to use more healthcare services such as inpatient visits, emergency admissions, and outpatient visits. Consistent with these findings, costs for these patients were found to be $19,707 per year, compared to $11,237 for patients with DM without comorbid MDD.

Limitations: The study utilizes data from an administrative claims database of insured individuals and hence, results may not be generalizable. Furthermore, the analysis is unable to examine clinical severity or indirect costs.

Conclusion: Compared to patients with DM and no comorbid MDD, patients with DM and MDD tend to have a larger burden of disease and to use more healthcare resources.