Association between depressive symptoms and mild cognitive impairment among the elderly in China: a community-based study

Our findings demonstrate a significant association between depressive symptoms and MCI, with depressive symptoms being linked to a higher prevalence of MCI. Early identification and intervention of depressive symptoms, including community screening, psychological therapies, or pharmacological treatments for older adults, may potentially mitigate cognitive decline. However, the cross-sectional design limits causal conclusions, and generalizability may be affected by self-reported depression measures and regional sampling.