To explore the correlation between digital literacy and the depression trajectory of the elderly in China.

Based on data from the three waves of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2016 to 2020, this study applied a group-based trajectory model to construct the changing trajectory of depression among the elderly, and employed a multi-class logistic regression model to investigate the association between digital literacy and the depression trajectory.

Three trajectory groups were identified: “long-term non-depression group” (64.87%), “depression slow-rising group” (29.75%), and “long-term high depression group” (5.38%). Compared with elderly individuals in the long-term non-depression group, the possibility that the depression trajectory belonged to the depression slow-rising group (RRR=0.905, 95% CI: 0.851-0.962) and the long-term high depression group (RRR=0.681, 95% CI: 0.510-0.919) was smaller if the digital literacy was higher.

There is heterogeneity in the depression trajectories of older adults, and digital literacy significantly influences these trajectories. The digital literacy of the elderly population should be enhanced to alleviate their depression.