We reviewed existing articles that investigated the association between DR and depression in the context of prevalence, risk factors, biological mechanisms, and treatment indications.
The literature review in this article includes a brief introduction to current studies of depression and DR, followed by a focus on the epidemiology of depression in DR that help doctors better identify potential or existing depression patients upon first diagnosis. The underlying biologic mechanisms between the 2 diseases are briefly reviewed, and potential treatments are addressed.
Depression in patients with DR is not uncommon and has a negative effect on the condition of DR. To achieve optimal prognosis in patients with DR and depression, more attention to combined psychiatric therapies for depression is recommended.