Aim. To assess the depressive symptoms status of chronic kidney diseases in Nantong, China, with type 2 diabetes and to identify factors associated with depressive symptoms. Methods. In this cross-sectional analytic study, 210 type 2 diabetic patients were recruited from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD-D). The quality of life was measured with the RAND 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36). And the independent risk factors of depressive symptoms were assessed by using a stepwise forward model of logistic regression analysis. Results. The mean age of the study subjects was 57.66 years (SD: 11.68). Approximately 21.4% of subjects reported depressive symptoms (n=45). Forward stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that female gender (P=0.010), hypertension (P=0.022), Stage IV (P=0.003), and Stage V (P<0.001) were significant risk factors for depressive symptoms. The quality of life of individuals with HAD-D score <11 was significantly better compared with individuals with HAD-D score ≥ 11. Conclusions. These results indicate that clinicians should be aware that female patients with chronic kidney diseases with T2DM in their late stage with hypertension are at a marked increased risk of depressive symptoms. Providing optimal care for the psychological health of this population is vital.