OBJECTIVE: To analyse whether adult depression is associated with the development of sarcopenia. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional observational study, based on the NHANES public database, in which a community-based population of adults aged 18-60 years was collected between 2011 and 2014 and the presence of depression was assessed using the PHQ9 depression scale. The relationship between depression and sarcopenia was analysed by multifactorial logistic regression. RESULTS: The sarcopenia group was older and had a higher PHQ9 score compared to the non- sarcopenia group, with a statistical difference between the two groups (p<0.05). After adjusting for age, gender and ethnicity, the presence of depression increased the risk of myasthenia 1.97 times when the PHQ9 depression score was judged as a cut-off value of 10. Conclusion: Depression is positively associated with the development of sarcopenia.