Depressive symptoms and risk of incident activities of daily living disability among older adults with symptomatic arthritis - Summary - MDSpire
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Association of Depressive Symptoms with the Onset of Daily Living Disability in Older Adults Suffering from Symptomatic Arthritis

  • By

  • Jingxuan Cui

  • Jian Kang

  • Shuaiyu Li

  • Linru Zeng

  • Chen Li

  • June 1, 2026

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Objective:

To examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and incident activities of daily living (ADL) disability among older adults with symptomatic arthritis.

Key Findings:
  • Higher CES-D scores were significantly associated with an increased risk of ADL disability in both cohorts.
  • Each 1-point increase in CES-D score was linked to a 7% higher risk in ELSA and a 10% higher risk in HRS.
  • Participants with depression had a substantially elevated risk of ADL disability compared to those without depression.
  • Physical activity partially mediated the association, accounting for approximately 9.1% of the effect in ELSA and 5.0% in HRS.
Interpretation:

Depressive symptoms were independently associated with an increased risk of ADL disability among older adults with symptomatic arthritis, with a clear dose-response relationship observed.

Limitations:
  • Potential biases due to competing mortality risks not being fully accounted for in some prior studies.
  • Limited exploration of non-linear relationships between depression severity and ADL disability risk.
Conclusion:

Depressive symptoms are a significant risk factor for ADL disability in older adults with symptomatic arthritis, emphasizing the need for integrated mental health and lifestyle interventions.

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