Examining the impact of functional disability and cognitive impairment on mental health of Chinese elderly

Depression and anxiety, as the two most prevalent psychiatric disorders, pose a huge challenge to the quality of life of the elderly. Using a sample of 7,721 elderly from the latest Chinese Longitudinal Health and Longevity Survey (CLHLS), the present study intended to explore the association between mental health and socioeconomic status, physical functional disability, and cognitive impairment among Chinese elderly by adopting multivariate logistic regression analyses. The results revealed that depression, anxiety, and their comorbidity are significantly higher in the elderly with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) disability, cognitive impairment, financial strain, and living alone. Findings of the study will provide implications for policymakers, social workers, and individual caregivers to develop necessary intervention measures to improve the mental health of the elderly and promote successful aging.