Abstract: Objective To investigate the current status of comorbidity of anxiety and depression and the correlation with somatic function in the community-dwelling elderly. Methods A convenience sampling method was used to select 262 elderly aged≥ 65 years old from three streets of a community in Wuxi City. A qustiomarie survey was conducted including socio-demographic characteristics, combined chronic diseases and living habits. The mental health of the elderly was assessed by using the Generalized Anxiety Scale and the Depression Screening Scale, and the somatic function-related indicators including lung capacity, grip strength and choice response time were measured by the Physical Fitness Test Instrument. Finally, multifactor logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of comorbidity of anxiety and depression. Results There were 43(16.41%) elderly people presenting with comorbidity of anxiety and depression. Multifactor logistic regression analysis showed that chronic diseases, sleep duration <6 h, and increased choice response time were independent risk factors for comorbidity of anxiety and depression in the community-dwelling elderly. Conclusions Community-dwelling elderly have a higher prevalence of comorbidity of anxiety and depression, which is closely related to declining somatic function and unhealthy lifestyles.

Key words: community elderly, anxiety, depression, sleep duration, somatic function, choice response time