Turning the Table: Depression Screening as the 6th Vital Sign

•59.1% of participants admitted to feelings of depression at least 1 day per month.•The average number of depressed days was 7.61.•Only 48.1% of participants showed a sufficient coping ability.•Only 33.3% of participants believed that they always received support from family, friends, and community.•It is important to screen patients with diabetes for depression.

Overweight and obesity, which lead to the development of type 2 diabetes, are serious health problems that nurse practitioners encounter in their practices. This pilot study uses a lifestyle survey instrument that determines patients' knowledge and perceptions of diet and exercise as healthy lifestyle behaviors in relation to their body mass index scores and diabetes status and addresses coping and support issues leading to a recommendation for depression screening as the 6th vital sign. These results lead to individualized diabetes education for prediabetic and type 2 diabetic patients.