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BACKGROUND: Our objective was to study depressive symptoms and potential risk factors in Chinese persons with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Zung self-rating depression scale (ZSDS) was used to scan depressive symptoms. Correlation between depressive symptoms and sociodemographic and medical factors were analyzed by logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 222 patients with type 2 diabetes (115 males, 107 females, age 56.36 +/- 12.67 years, disease duration 7.36 +/- 6.32 years), a total of 51 (23.0%) patients were categorized as having depressive symptoms. Percentage of depressive symptoms in females was higher than in males (29.0% vs. 17.6%, chi(2)=4.2, p <0.05). Percentage of depressive symptoms increased with increase of diabetes duration, HbA(1c), TC, TG, and number of chronic diabetic complications. Univariate logistic regression showed that diabetes duration, number of chronic diabetic complications, HbA(1c), female gender, and TC were significantly correlated with depressive symptoms (p <0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that variables, i.e., diabetes duration, number of chronic diabetic complications, HbA(1C), and female gender were significantly and independently associated with depressive symptoms (p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this Chinese population, depressive symptoms in subjects with type 2 diabetes were frequent. Diabetes duration, number of chronic diabetic complications, HbA(1C), and female gender were independent risk factors for depressive symptoms. Further research on the relationship between diabetes and depressive symptoms in China was necessary.