Background: Determinants for undetected dementia and late-life depression have been not well studied.
Aims: To investigate risk factors for undetected dementia and depression in older communities.
Method: Using the method of the 10/66 algorithm, we interviewed a random sample of 7072 participants aged ≥60 years in six provinces of China during 2007-2011. We documented doctor-diagnosed dementia and depression in the interview. Using the validated 10/66 algorithm we diagnosed dementia (n = 359) and depression (n = 328).
Results: We found that 93.1% of dementia and 92.5% of depression was undetected. Both undetected dementia and depression were significantly associated with low levels of education and occupation, and living in a rural area. The risk of undetected dementia was also associated with 'help available when needed', and inversely, with a family history of mental illness and having functional impairment. Undetected depression was significantly related to female gender, low income, having more children and inversely with having heart disease.
Conclusions: Older adults in China have high levels of undetected dementia and depression. General socioeconomic improvement, associated with mental health education, targeting high-risk populations are likely to increase detection of dementia and depression in older adults, providing a backdrop for culturally acceptable service development.