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Objectives: To examine the relationship between persistently high depressive symptoms and long‐term changes in functional disability in elderly persons.

Design: A community‐based, prospective, observational study.

Setting: Participant data from the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Participants: From the overall sample of 5,888 subjects, three types of participants were identified for this study: (1) persistently depressed individuals, who experienced an onset of depressive symptoms that persisted over 4 years (n=119); (2) temporarily depressed individuals, who experienced an onset of depressive symptoms that resolved over time (n=259); and (3) nondepressed individuals, with persistently low depressive symptoms throughout the follow‐up period who were matched on baseline activity of daily living (ADL) scores, sex, and age to the previous two groups combined (n=378).

Measurements: Four consecutive years …