BackgroundElderly cataract patients with depressive symptoms have heavier self-perceived burden， and worse vision-related quality of life compared to patients without depressive symptoms， resulting in the increase of family burden. Most previous studies showed that family relationship and vision were the main factors leading to depression in elderly cataract patients， and ignored the effects of self-feeling and complicated diseases on the psychological state of elderly cataract patients. ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between depressive symptoms， self-perceived burden and postoperative vision-related quality of life in elderly cataract patients， and to analyze the risk factors of depressive symptoms. So as to provide references for targeted psychological intervention in this population. MethodsA total of 104 elderly cataract patients admitted to Jiangsu Province Hospital （The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University） from July 1， 2020 to December 31， 2022 were included. General information， self-perceived burden and postoperative vision-related quality of life were investigated by self-designed questionnaire， Patients' Health Questionnaire depressive Scale-9 item （PHQ-9）， Self-Perceived Burden Scale （SPBS） and National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 （NEI-VFQ-25）. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlation among PHQ-9， SPBS and NEI-VFQ-25 scores. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of depressive symptoms in eldery cataract patients. ResultsA total of 100 elderly cataract patients completed an effective questionnaire survey. Among the participants， 31 cases （31.00%） were found to have depressive symptoms. The depressive group exhibited significantly higher SPBS score （t=11.062， P<0.01） and significantly lower NEI-VFQ-25 score （t=-5.235， P<0.01） than those of the non-depressive group. Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between PHQ-9 and SPBS score （r=0.485， P<0.01）， and a negative correlation between PHQ-9 and NEI-VFQ-25 score （r=-0.440， P<0.01）. Complicated with diabetes （OR=1.441， P<0.01）， osteoarthritis （OR=1.324， P<0.05） and high SPBS score （OR=1.340， P<0.05） were risk factors of depressive sympptoms in elderly cataract patients. ConclusionThe detection rate of depressive symptoms in elderly cataract patients is higher， and postoperative vision-related quality of life in elderly cataract patients complicated with depressive symptoms is poor. Risk factors include diabetes， osteoarthritis and high self-perceived burden. ［Funded by 2022 Jiangsu Province Elderly Health Scientific Research Project （number， LKM2022019）］