Association between multimorbidity and childhood socioeconomic status with depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults in rural western China

Key Points

• Depressive symptoms increase with higher multimorbidity, implicating multiple health conditions affecting mental health.
• Participants with lower socioeconomic status reported more depressive symptoms, underscoring social determinants' impact.
• Assessment using survey data across rural western China revealed strong correlations between socioeconomic factors and mental health.
• Addressing multimorbidity and socioeconomic challenges is crucial for improving mental health outcomes in older populations.