What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Cohort. Population: Incident cancer (n=13132). Intervention: Clinically significant depressive symptoms vs. No clinically significant depressive symptoms. Primary outcome: Incident cancer (HR 1.193, 95% CI 0.905-1.572, p=0.210).

What question did this study set out to answer?

This study investigates the link between depressive symptoms and the risk of incident cancer in aging Chinese adults.

May 24, 2026Open Access

Depressive symptoms and incident cancer risk in middle-aged and older Chinese adults: Findings from CHARLS

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

Clinically significant depressive symptoms are associated with a non-significant trend toward an increased risk of incident cancer in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Key Result

Clinically significant depressive symptoms were associated with a nonsignificant 19.3% higher risk of incident cancer in middle-aged and older Chinese adults (HR 1.193; 95% CI 0.905-1.572; P=0.210).

Key Points

This study investigates the link between depressive symptoms and the risk of incident cancer in aging Chinese adults.
Analyzed data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2015-2020) involving 13,132 participants.
Depressive symptoms assessed using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.
Utilized Cox proportional hazard models to evaluate the association between depressive symptoms and cancer incidence.
Identified 250 new cancer cases over a median follow-up of 5 years.
Individuals with significant depressive symptoms had a 19.3% increased cancer risk (HR = 1.193, 95% CI = 0.905–1.572, P = .210).
Association persisted across different severity levels of depressive symptoms.

Study Design

Type

Cohort (n=13,132)

Multicenter

Yes

Structured PICO

Do clinically significant depressive symptoms increase the risk of incident cancer in middle-aged and older Chinese adults?

Population

13,132 middle-aged and older Chinese adults aged 45 and older without a history of cancer at baseline, median age 60 years, 46.9% male

Intervention

Clinically significant depressive symptoms (10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score ≥10)

Comparator

Without clinically significant depressive symptoms

Outcome

Incident cancer cases identified through self-reported physician diagnoseshard clinical

Clinically significant depressive symptoms showed a nonsignificant trend toward increased risk of incident cancer in middle-aged and older Chinese adults.

Main Result

Effect estimate: HR 1.193 (95% CI 0.905-1.572)

p-value: p=0.210

Abstract

Depression and cancer are major public health concerns worldwide, particularly among aging populations. This study aims to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and incident cancer among middle-aged and older Chinese adults. We analyzed data from the 2015 to 2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative cohort of Chinese adults aged 45 and older. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale at baseline. Incident cancer cases were identified through self-reported physician diagnoses during follow-up waves. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the association between baseline depressive symptoms and subsequent cancer incidence, adjusting for sociodemographic factors, lifestyles, and health status. Among 13,132 participants (median age = 60 years, 46.9% male) without a history of cancer at baseline, 250 new cancer cases were identified over a median follow-up of 5.0 years. After adjusting for potential confounders, individuals with clinically significant depressive symptoms (10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score ≥10) had a 19.3% higher risk of developing cancer compared to those without (hazard ratio = 1.193, 95% confidence interval = 0.905–1.572, P = .210). This association persisted when categorized by the severity of depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest that depressive symptoms showed a nonsignificant trend toward increased risk of incident cancer in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. This underscores the importance of mental health screening and intervention in this population, potentially as part of a comprehensive strategy for cancer prevention. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and to develop targeted interventions.