Introduction and Objective: Compared to people without type 1 diabetes (T1D), those with T1D are at increased risk of mood disorders and sleep difficulties. Partner support is overlooked when assessing these factors in older adults with T1D. We aimed to evaluate whether a sleep companion (SC) influences depression, anxiety, and sleep in the Joslin Medalists (T1D ≥50 years, mean age 67).Methods: Depression, anxiety, and sleep were surveyed in Medalists (n=324) using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. Associations between scores and self-reports of sleeping alone or with a partner were assessed cross-sectionally with linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, and HbA1c.Results: Mean (±SD) scores for PHQ-9, GAD-7, and PSQI were 3.3 (±3.9), 2.1 (±3.4), and 5.3 (±3.6), respectively. 8% of Medalists met the clinical threshold for moderate-severe depression, 6% for anxiety, and 38% for poor sleep quality. Female Medalists showed more depression symptoms (β=0.95, p=0.03) and worse sleep (β=0.97, p=0.02) than males. Age did not affect scores. Mean HbA1c in Medalists was 6.9 (±0.8). HbA1c positively correlated with depression (β=0.54, p=0.04) but did not correlate with anxiety or sleep. 75% of Medalists had an SC, and HbA1c did not differ between those with and without an SC. Medalists with an SC showed fewer depressive symptoms (β=-1.12, p=0.03) and improved sleep quality (β=-1.10, p=0.03) compared to those without. There was no association with anxiety.Conclusion: Higher HbA1c and female sex increased risk of depression in older adults with T1D, while anxiety remained unaffected. Although women had worse sleep quality than men, having sleep companions improved mood and sleep quality, independent of age, sex, and glycemic control. This could be due to a shared responsibility of diabetes management. Further studies are needed to understand the mediating factors of these relationships.
E.R. Viebranz: None. S. Jangolla: None. M. Yu: None. N.A. Ziemniak: None. J. Gauthier: None. A. Adam: None. G.L. King: None. H. Shah: None.
Beatson Foundation (2791-20005-2500103)NIH (P30DK036836)
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