Objective To explore the effects of family function of chronic ischemic stroke patients and their primary family caregivers on depression and quality of life of patients. Methods Convenience sampling method was used to select 124 pairs of chronic ischemic stroke patients who were hospitalized in Stroke Center of Air Force Hospital of PLA Eastern Theater Command from Apr. to Dec. 2020 and their primary family caregivers, and they were followed up 6 months after discharge. Demographic sociological data and disease-related data of patients with chronic ischemic stroke and their primary family caregivers were collected using the self-maded demographic sociological data and disease-related data questionnaires, respectively. Family function of patients and their primary family caregivers was assessed using family assessment device (FAD), depression symptoms of patients were measured by center for epidemiological studies depression scale (CES-D), and quality of life level of patients was assessed by the stroke specific quality of life (SS-QOL) scale. Chi-square test was used to investigate the differences in family function between patients and their primary family caregivers. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to explore the correlations of family function with depression and quality of life of patients. Results Among the 124 chronic ischemic stroke patients, 75 (60.5%) were males and 49 (39.5%) were females, with an age of (65.5±8.9) years old. The total score of FAD was 136.6±19.7 in patients and 137.4±21.3 in primary family caregivers. The CES-D score of the patients was 14.2±10.6, of which 54 cases (43.5%) had depressive symptoms. The average score of SS-QOL (191.3±46.3) was generally at a medium level. There were significant differences in the dysfunction rate of dimensions of problem solving, roles, affective response, affective involvement, behavioral control, and general function (31.5% ［39/124］ vs 32.3% ［40/124］, 43.5% ［54/124］ vs 47.6% ［59/124］, 60.5% ［75/124］ vs 46.8% ［58/124］, 76.6% ［95/124］ vs 71.0% ［88/124］, 91.1% ［113/124］ vs 93.5% ［116/124］, and 65.3% ［81/124］ vs 62.9% ［78/124］) between the patients and primary family caregivers (all P＜0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis and multiple linear regression analysis showed that the role function reported by primary family caregivers was correlated with depressive symptoms (odds ratio＝3.152, 95% confidence interval 1.142-8.702, P＝0.027) and quality of life (b＝－20.642, P＝0.029). Conclusion The role dysfunction of primary family caregivers may increase the risk of depressive symptoms in patients with chronic ischemic stroke and reduce their quality of life.