Introduction:

Current estimates predict that the number of people with disabilities will increase as a consequence of the aging population, and so it is important to identify the main risk factors for its prevention. In older adults (OA) depression is one of the most frequent mental health alterations.

Objective:

To describe the status of current research on depression as a predictor of disability in OA in the community.

Methodology:

Review of the literature in the electronic databases of Pubmed (Medline), Sciencedirect, Ebsco and Lilacs, from longitudinal studies published between 2007-2017.

Results:

Fifteen articles were selected that were mostly part of cohort aging studies, with participants in the age range of 55-90 years old, and with a follow-up period of 2 to 10 years.

Conclusion:

A general analysis is presented of the implications of the described results.