Depressive Symptoms, Cardiovascular Risk, and Diabetes Self-Care Strategies in African American Women With Type 2 Diabetes

This descriptive study examined depressive symptoms, cardiovascular risk, and diabetes self-care strategies in African American women (N = 45) with type 2 diabetes (T2D). All completed a questionnaire packet during structured interviews. Significant associations were found between two individual depressive symptoms and mean cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk scores, which suggest that in African American women with T2D, depressive symptoms may be correlated with a specific CVD profile and/or are unrecognized and/or unexpressed. Further analysis is warranted to determine the extent of this relationship in African American women with T2D.