Si D

Dowden M

Kennedy C

Cox R

O' Donoghue L

Liddle H

Kwedza R

Connors, Christine

Thompson S

Burke H

Brown A

Weeramanthri T

Shierhout G

Bailie R

2011-05-01

Aim: This article reports on documented levels of depression among people with diabetes attending indigenous primary care centres. Method: Between 2005 and 2009, clinical audits of diabetes care were conducted in 62 indigenous community health centres from four Australian states and territories. Results: The overall prevalence of documented depression among people with diabetes was 8.8%. Fourteen (23%) of the 62 health centres had no record of either diagnosed depression or prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors among people with diabetes. For the remaining 48 centres, 3.3-36.7% of people with diabetes had documented depression. Discussion: The results of this study are inconsistent with the evidence showing high prevalence of mental distress among indigenous people. A more thorough investigation into the capacity, methods and barriers involved in diagnosing and managing depression in indigenous primary care is needed.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland and Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory, email: damin.si@menzies.edu.au

Manager, Primary Health Centre, Ngalkanbuy Health Service, Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory

Data Analyst, Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation, Broken Hill, New South Wales

Coordinator, ABCD Project, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia

Coordinator, ABCD Project, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory

Central Australia Hub Coordinator, ABCD Project, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory

Program Manager, Queensland Department of Health, Cairns, Queensland

Program Director, Northern Territory Department of Health and Families, Darwin, Northern Territory

Director, Combined Universities Centre for Rural Health, University of Western Australia, Geraldton, Western Australia

Public Health Physician, Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation, Broken Hill, New South Wales

Public Health Physician, Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation, Broken Hill, New South Wales

Director, Centre for Indigenous Vascular and Diabetes Research, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Executive Director, Western Australia Department of Health, Public Health Division, Perth, Western Australia

Senior Research Fellow, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory

Professor of Public Health, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory

Aust Fam Physician . 2011 May;40(5):331-3.

0300-8495

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21597555/?otool=iaurydwlib

https://hdl.handle.net/10137/12029

40

Depression, mental

Aboriginal Australians

Health and hygiene

Diabetics

Medical care

Australia

Indigenous Community Care: Documented Depression in Patients with Diabetes

Journal Article

Publication