Longitudinal associations of depressive symptoms, subjective memory decline, and cognitive functioning among Chinese older adults: Between-person and within-person perspective

Objectives: We examined between- and within-person associations between depressive symptoms and cognitive functioning among Chinese older adults (aged 60+) over time. Furthermore, we also investigated whether subjective memory decline (SMD) is uniquely associated with cognitive functioning above and beyond depressive symptoms for both between-person and within-person associations. Methods: About 7385 older adults from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study reported their demographic and health status, and completed self-report measures of depressive symptoms and SMD, as well as a battery of cognitive tests, every two years at three times between 2011 and 2015. Results: There were significant between-person and within-person associations between depressive symptoms and cognitive functioning. Furthermore, SMD was uniquely associated with cognitive functioning for both within-person and between-person associations after controlling for depressive symptoms. Conclusions: The results highlight the importance of careful screening and monitoring of depressive symptoms and SMD for the benefits of cognitive functioning among Chinese older adults. More importantly, SMD has practical implications for the care of Chinese older adults given significant cultural stigma attached to mental illness within Chinese culture.