What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to examine the impact of dementia screening on depressive symptoms in older adults and their family members over time.

How Does Receipt of Dementia Screening Impact Depressive Symptoms Among Patients and Their Family Members?

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Randomized trial examines how dementia screening affects mental health in older adults and their families, suggesting broader benefits.

This study aims to examine the impact of dementia screening on depressive symptoms in older adults and their family members over time.
1,805 older adults (≥ 65 years) and family dyads participated in the COADS trial, randomized into three groups.
Depressive symptoms were measured using PHQ-9 at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months post-intervention.
A cross-lagged panel model analyzed longitudinal associations of depressive symptoms within the dyads.
Dyads in screening groups with negative results showed lower depressive symptoms in older adults at 6 months (β = -0.53, p = 0).
Older adults in screening groups with positive results also demonstrated lower symptoms compared to controls (β = -0.84, p = 0.058).
Improvements in older adults' depressive symptoms led to reduced depressive symptoms in family members at 12 months (β = 0.05, p = 0.016).

Lou et al. (2026) studied this question.

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