Association Between Living With a Family Member With Dementia and Depressive Symptoms: A Nationwide Study in Korea

Dementia imposes a growing public health burden in Korea, with substantial implications for families living with affected members. Although prior Korean studies have suggested an association between dementia-related household context and depressive symptoms, population-based evidence on co-residence with a family member with dementia remains limited. This study examined the association between co-residence with a family member with dementia and depressive symptoms among Korean adults aged 50 years and older.

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the 2024 Korea Community Health Survey. Among 231,728 respondents, 120,029 adults aged ≥ 50 years living in non-single-person households were included. The exposure was co-residence with a family member reported to have dementia, rather than a direct measure of caregiving status, intensity, or duration. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), with a score ≥ 10 indicating clinically significant depressive symptoms. Survey-weighted multiple logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Overall, 15.8% of individuals reported depressive symptoms. Living with a family member with dementia was highly associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.29-1.42; p < 0.0001). Among men, significant lower associations showed with good health status (OR = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.13-0.16). Among women, similar patterns were observed, with high income (OR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.63-0.80) and good health (OR = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.13-0.16) being strongly protective against depression.

Co-residence with a family member with dementia was associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms among Korean adults aged 50 years and older. These findings suggest the need to consider mental health screening and support strategies for families living with dementia, while acknowledging the cross-sectional and self-reported nature of the data.