Demographic Vulnerability and Mental Health in Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A Lifespan-Informed Analysis of Diabetes Distress

Background: Diabetes distress is a key mental health dimension of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and a growing concern as populations age, yet its determinants in older adults remain insufficiently characterized. The independent contributions of demographic and metabolic factors to severe distress and their implications for multidisciplinary screening across the lifespan remain unclear. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we assessed 453 adults with T2D using the 17-item Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS-17). We categorized participants as experiencing low (<2), moderate (2–2.9), or severe (≥3) distress. We compared categories using the Kruskal–Wallis H test and chi-square tests. Logistic regression models were constructed with severe distress (DDS ≥ 3) as the outcome, adjusting for sex, educational level, and HbA1c. Results: Severe distress was identified in 19 participants (4.2%). Age differed significantly across DDS categories (Kruskal–Wallis H test, p = 0.003), with the severe group being significantly older (72.95 ± 4.38 years). Emotional burden was the dominant subscale across all groups. In multivariable logistic regression, increasing age (aOR = 1.163 per year; 95% CI: 1.055–1.282; p = 0.002) and lower educational level (high school vs. basic: aOR = 0.187; p = 0.020) were independently associated with severe distress, whereas metabolic variables were not independently associated with severe distress. ROC analysis identified age ≥ 70 years as an exploratory, sample-derived cut-off (AUC = 0.726, 95% CI 0.602–0.827; sensitivity 84%, specificity 55%). Results were robust in sensitivity analyses that excluded patients with diabetes duration < 5 years. Conclusions: Severe diabetes distress is more strongly associated with demographic vulnerability than with metabolic burden. Age ≥ 70 years and lower educational attainment may help identify older adults at increased risk of diabetes-related distress, supporting targeted psychological screening strategies in this lifespan stage.