Depressive Symptoms as Mediators of the Relationship Between Sensory Impairment and Cognitive Function in Community-Dwelling Older Couples: An Actor–Partner Interdependence Mediation Model

Background This study examined the indirect associations between sensory impairment and cognitive function through depressive symptoms using the Actor–Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM). Methods We analyzed dyadic data from 2,233 older adult couples. The outcome variable was cognitive function, while the independent variables were sensory impairments. Depressive symptoms were examined as the mediator. We utilized the APIMeM to examine within-person and cross-partner indirect associations through depressive symptoms. Results Significant actor–actor indirect associations were observed for males and females in all three models, together with several cross-partner indirect associations. Dual sensory and hearing findings were generally maintained in sensitivity analyses. For vision impairment, actor–actor associations remained robust, whereas two smaller cross-partner associations were attenuated in the expanded sample. Conclusions Depressive symptoms were associated with within-person and cross-partner relationships between sensory impairment and cognitive function. These findings highlight the importance of considering both spouses.