The Mediating Effect of Social Support on the Relationship Between Cognitive Frailty and Depression in Older Adults

Objective To examine the mediating effect of social support between Cognitive Frailty and depression in older adults, thereby providing evidence for targeted interventions to mitigate both conditions. Methods Using data from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), a sample of 4,589 non-demented older adults aged 65 years and above was selected to investigate the relationships among social support, cognitive frailty, and depression. A simple mediation analysis model was employed to analyze the mediating effect of social support on the relationship between cognitive frailty and depression. Results The prevalence of Cognitive Frailty was 27.82%, and the detection rate of depressive symptoms was 15.14%. Cognitive frailty was positively correlated with depression ( r =0.164, P <0.001) and negatively correlated with social support ( r =−0.036, P <0.05). Social support was also negatively correlated with depression ( r =−0.100, P <0.001). The direct and total effects of cognitive frailty on depression were statistically significant (95% CI: [1.276, 1.824] and [1.308, 1.858]), and the mediating effect of social support between cognitive frailty and depression was statistically significant (95% CI: [0.006, 0.063]). Conclusion Cognitive frailty can exacerbate depressive symptoms in older adults, but this relationship can be partially mitigated by enhancing social support. Comprehensive measures should be implemented to improve the level of social support for older adults, which may help delay the progression of cognitive decline and reduce the severity of depression.