The purpose of this paper is to summarize the need for improved recognition of depression versus diabetes distress and discuss recommendations for appropriate screening tools.In order to assess for both depression and diabetes distress, a combined approach of using both the WHO-5 and the PAID-20 is a simple and reliable method for detecting depression and assisting in determining the focus of specific aspects of diabetes management based on the patient's reported depressive symptoms.Routine screening for depression and diabetes distress is essential for improving quality of life and reducing healthcare cost in patients with diabetes.