Bidirectional association between depressive symptoms and mild cognitive impairment over 20 years: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study in the United States

Abstract

Our study found a bidirectional association between depressive symptoms and MCI. High-risk depressive symptoms are related to a higher risk of subsequent MCI; and MCI predicts subsequent high-risk depression. Though neither gender nor education moderated the bidirectional association, public health interventions crafted to reduce the risk of depression and MCI should pivot attention to older women and those with less formal education.