Geriatric depression results in additional difficulties for older people and their residing society. The case-control study intended to assess the association between cognitive social capital and depression in rural older people.

We conducted this study from January to December 2020 among 420 rural tenants aged ≥60 years in Bangladesh. We enrolled 210 older persons with depression as cases and another 210 without depression as controls. We used a semi-structured questionnaire, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), and a cluster sampling technique to collect data through face-to-face interviews. We performed quality control checks and followed all ethics guidelines.

Geriatric depression had a significant association with gender (p = 0.006), marital status (p < 0.001), education (p < 0.001), occupation (p = 0.001), family type (p < 0.001), family size (p < 0.001), number of family members (p < 0.001), and monthly family income (p < 0.001) of the rural older adults. Both interpersonal trust (p < 0.001) and reciprocity (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with geriatric depression. The older adults who didn’t believe in interpersonal trust (OR = 6.8, p = 0.002) and who disagreed with reciprocity (OR = 31.1, p < 0.001) were more likely to have depression.

The study findings can contribute to formulating cognitive social capital policy and interventions to promote the psychological well-being of rural older people by alleviating geriatric depression.