Objectives:
To compare quality of life, symptoms of depression and strategies of coping with stress among individuals with type 2 diabetes and healthy individuals in their middle age, and also to verify the correlation of the aforementioned variables.

Methods:
87 persons took part in the study: 42 persons with type 2 diabetes and 45 healthy persons. There were used 4 questionnaires with recognized psychometric properties.

Results:
The results showed significant differences in the level of global quality of life, satisfaction with health and physical domain, symptoms of depression, and also in terms of reactive coping with stress, which focuses on emotions and avoidance.

Conclusions:
Individuals with diabetes have lower global perceived quality of life and satisfaction with health and physical domain. In this group, the intensity of depressive symptoms is higher. Both groups use a task-oriented style with the same frequency in times of stress. Persons with diabetes use an emotion-oriented style more often than healthy persons, whereas the latter use an avoidance-oriented style. Both groups use various proactive coping strategies with the same frequency.