Depression status and risk factors analysis based on the ‘individual‐social‐health system’ dimension: evidence from middle‐aged and elderly people in China

Abstract Background Depression, as a common mental illness, is harmful and burdensome. As a country with a large elderly population, China has a heavy burden of depression going in the future. The study aims to portray the current situation of depression occurrence in middle‐aged and elderly people in China and capture the risk triggers, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the improvement of the mental health status of middle‐aged and elderly people, and the development of depression prevention, control and intervention strategies. Method The study used 2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) data and 18 950 respondents aged >45 years as the study sample. Depression status was calculated according to the simplified version of the Depression Scale (CES‐D10) and logistic regression analysis was used to explore the factors affecting depression. Result There were 34.14% of the 18 950 respondents who were depressed. The results of logistic regression showed that factors such as being under 65 years of age, female, living in rural areas, having low education, and poor health status were risk factors for depression. Conclusion The mental health of the middle‐aged and elderly population is poor and affected by multidimensional factors. The Chinese government should continue to strengthen its efforts to prevent and treat depression in the middle‐aged and elderly population, and establish individualised and comprehensive strategies and measures to enhance the operational effectiveness of the policy.