Depressive symptoms in pregnant women with gestational diabetes: A cross-sectional comparative study using historical data

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency and severity of depressive symptoms in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) compared with healthy pregnant controls and to examine their association with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional comparative study included 50 pregnant women evaluated between March 1996 and June 1996. Twenty-five pregnant women diagnosed with GDM by a two-step protocol (a 50-g glucose challenge test at 24-28 weeks of gestation, followed by a 100-g, 3-h oral glucose tolerance test in women with a 1-h value ≥ 140 mg/dL) and 25 healthy pregnant women without any medical complications were enrolled as controls. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Turkish-validated Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Sociodemographic and obstetric data were collected through a structured face-to-face interview. Statistical analyses (independent-samples t-test and Pearson chisquare test) were performed using SPSS.

Results: A total of 50 pregnant women, comprising 25 women diagnosed with GDM (mean age: 31.0 ± 5.7 years; range, 25 to 37 years) and 25 healthy pregnant controls (mean age: 27.2 ± 5.4 years; range, 21 to 33 years) without diabetic, obstetric, or other medical complications, were evaluated. In unadjusted analyses, the GDM group was significantly older than controls (t = 2.39, p = 0.02); height, weight, educational attainment, and socioeconomic status did not differ significantly between groups. Depressive symptoms were significantly more frequent in the GDM group than in controls (χ² = 37.8, p < 0.05). Within the GDM group, symptom severity was predominantly mild (60%, 15/25), with no depressive symptoms in 28% (7/25) and moderate symptoms in 12% (3/25). Depressive symptom severity was not significantly associated with treatment modality (diet alone vs. diet plus insulin; χ² = 4.32, p = 0.36), self-monitoring of blood glucose (χ² = 15.69, p = 0.47), body mass index (p = 0.264), gravidity, parity, or the presence of diabetic retinopathy or nephropathy (p = 0.20 and p = 0.45, respectively).

Conclusion: In this cross-sectional comparative study, GDM was associated with a significantly higher frequency of depressive symptoms than in healthy pregnancies, predominantly of mild severity. No statistically significant associations were detected between depressive symptom severity and treatment modality, glycemic self-monitoring, obstetric history, or the assessed diabetic complications. Because the data derive from a single historical cohort assessed with instruments and diagnostic thresholds specific to that period, these findings should be regarded as hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory; adequately powered, contemporary studies are needed.

Cite this article as: Aran S. Depressive symptoms in pregnant women with gestational diabetes: A cross-sectional comparative study using historical data. D J Med Sci 2026;12(2):98-104. doi: 10.5606/fng.btd.2026.252.

The author declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Data Sharing Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

The author received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.

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