1
|
Smith JR. Older mothers and their difficult adult children: a life course exploration. J Elder Abuse Negl 2024; 36:174-197. [PMID: 38459784 DOI: 10.1080/08946566.2024.2325558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Adult child to parent violence is a growing international social problem that needs to be better understood to develop clinical interventions. An exploratory study on the antecedents of early life adversity on adult child to parent violence/elder mistreatment was carried out using secondary analysis. Directed content analysis was used based on life course theory with a data set of older mothers all > 57 years old (J. R. Smith 2021, 2022). Measurement of instances of child abuse, domestic violence, and birth trauma among abused older mothers was conducted. All the older women had reported being negatively affected by their adult children's problems and 56% reported being physically attacked. A case example is presented to illustrate how repeated incidents of abuse or neglect in early life might explain an older woman's inability to take actions for her own safety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Judith R Smith
- Graduate School of Social Service, Fordham University, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wei W, Balser S. A Systematic Review: Risk and Protective Factors of Elder Abuse for Community-Dwelling Racial Minorities. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2024; 25:73-86. [PMID: 36541634 DOI: 10.1177/15248380221140123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Elder abuse is related to numerous adverse health and mental health conditions in older adults and some studies indicated higher rates of elder abuse in ethnic and racial minority populations than non-Hispanic Whites. This current study aims to summarize the risk and protective factors associated with elder abuse in community-dwelling racial minorities. A systematic review was conducted following Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. AgeLine, Medline, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched without limitation on time periods of publication. Two authors independently screened the search results and assessed the eligibility and quality of the retrieved articles. A total of 718 articles were screened and 25 articles were included in the review. The 25 included studies' publication dates range from 1989 to 2019. Five racial categories were generated: African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and racial minorities in Canada. Risk and protective factors of elder abuse and its subtypes (e.g., physical and psychological abuse) for these racial groups were summarized. There are some common risk factors across racial minorities, such as dependence on caregivers and health issues. The review identified gaps and conflicting findings regarding culture and education that are worthy of further investigation. In particular, there is a lack of current research on elder abuse in racial minority older women, race minority subgroups, and protective factors of elder abuse. The results guide helping professionals to consider the role of traditional culture and identify warning signs of potential abuse among racial minority older adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenxing Wei
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Sarah Balser
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ziaei S, Hammarström A. The relationship between interpersonal violence in adulthood and mental health: a longitudinal study based on the Northern Swedish Cohort. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:637. [PMID: 37013550 PMCID: PMC10071752 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15525-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Longitudinal studies evaluating the negative effects of exposure to interpersonal violence in the adulthood on the mental health of both women and men are scarce. Using longitudinal data, we evaluated the relationship between the last year experience of violence and functional somatic and depressive symptoms at the ages of 30 and 43 among participants (n = 1006; 483 women and 523 men) in the Northern Swedish Cohort. Further, the relationship between cumulative exposure to violence over a decade and mental health symptoms among participants was evaluated. METHODS Participants' experience of interpersonal violence and symptoms of functional somatic and depressive symptoms were evaluated with standard questionnaires at the ages of 30 and 43. General linear models were used to evaluate the relationship between the experience of interpersonal violence and mental health symptoms among the participants. The interactions between gender and violence on functional somatic and depressive symptoms were evaluated separately, and models in which the interaction was significant, were split by gender. RESULTS We found that the last year experience of violence at the age of 30 was related to current functional somatic symptoms among all participants and depressive symptoms only among men, (β Adj for the experience of any violence among men: 0.21; CI: 0.12-0.29; Vs. among women: 0.06; CI: -0.04-0.16, p for interaction = 0.02). At the age of 43, last year experience of violence was related to both functional somatic and depressive symptoms in both genders. Finally, a cumulative relationship between the experience of violence over time and mental health symptoms was observed in all participants. CONCLUSIONS Our findings revealed that while the relationship between the experience of interpersonal violence and mental health symptoms may differ among men and women and with age, the experience of violence can be negatively related to the mental health in both genders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shirin Ziaei
- Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 4, 113 65 Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Anne Hammarström
- Unit of Occupational Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 4, 113 65 Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhu Y, Cai K, Wang Y, Chen Q. Health effects of children's witnessing of elder abuse: Evidence from six major cities in China. HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY 2022; 30:e3053-e3062. [PMID: 35156251 DOI: 10.1111/hsc.13750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Past evidence has revealed the negative effects of children's witnessing of family violence. With our increasingly aging society comes a higher risk of elder abuse, which creates new challenges in the form of the indirect and direct victimisation of children in the home. However, research on the relationship between children's witnessing of elder abuse and their victimisation experiences is limited. This study examines the physical and mental health outcomes of witnessing elder abuse, as well as the relationship between children's witnessing of elder abuse at home and child abuse victimisation. A large-scale representative sample of 18,504 students aged 14-18 from six major cities in China was analysed to investigate the associations. The results showed that children who had witnessed more than one type of elder abuse were more likely to have depression and poor health than those who had witnessed only one type. Children's witnessing of elder abuse was also significantly associated with child abuse and bullying victimisation. These findings offer implications for policy making and service delivery in family-based child protection and interventions: Future interventions aimed at addressing indirect child victimisation should be integrated with those focused on direct forms of victimisation in order to effectively identify at-risk families as a whole.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuhong Zhu
- Center for Studies of Sociological Theory and Method, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
- Department of Social Work & Social Policy, School of Sociology & Population Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Kangxin Cai
- Department of Social Work & Social Policy, School of Sociology & Population Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Social Work & Social Policy, School of Sociology & Population Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Qiqi Chen
- Department of Social Work, School of Sociology and Anthropology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Simmons J, Swahnberg K. Characteristics Associated With Being Asked About Violence Victimization in Health Care: A Swedish Random Population Study. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2022; 37:NP8479-NP8506. [PMID: 33283603 PMCID: PMC9136474 DOI: 10.1177/0886260520977836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Recommendations to routinely question patients about violence victimization have been around for many years; nonetheless, many patients suffering in the aftermath of violence go unnoticed in health care. The main aim of this study was to explore characteristics associated with being asked about experiences of violence in health care and thereby making visible victims that go unnoticed. In this study, we used cross-sectional survey data from 754 men (response rate 35%) and 749 women (response rate 38%) collected at random from the Swedish population, age 25-85. Questions were asked about experiences of emotional, physical, and sexual violence from both family, partner, and other perpetrators. Only 13.1% of those reporting some form of victimization reported ever being asked about experiences of violence in health care. Low subjective social status was associated with being asked questions (adj OR 2.23) but not with victimization, possibly indicating prejudice believes among providers concerning who can be a victim of violence. Other factors associated with increased odds of being asked questions were: being a woman (adj OR 2.09), young age (24-44 years, adj OR 6.90), having been treated for depression (adj OR 2.45) or depression and anxiety (adj OR 2.19) as well as reporting physical violence (adj OR 2.74) or polyvictimization (adj OR 2.85). The main finding of the study was that only few victims had been asked questions. For example, among those reporting ≥4 visits to a primary care physician during the past 12 months, 43% reported some form of victimization but only 6% had been asked questions. Our findings underline the importance of continuing to improve the health care response offered to victims of violence.
Collapse
|
6
|
Simmons J, Wiklund N, Ludvigsson M. Managing abusive experiences: a qualitative study among older adults in Sweden. BMC Geriatr 2022; 22:456. [PMID: 35619083 PMCID: PMC9137123 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-022-03143-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Elder abuse is prevalent, and is associated with poor health outcomes. How an older adult is affected by abusive experiences is dependent on myriad factors, including aspects of the abuse itself, other life circumstances, coping strategies, and what kind of help the older adults receive to manage the experience. In this study, we sought to investigate how older adults themselves describe how they manage abusive experiences. An increased understanding of this could help to tailor society’s response to older adults suffering from abuse. Method Participants (n = 30) were recruited from patients admitted to one acute geriatric and one acute internal medicine ward at a university hospital in Sweden. Patients over the age of 65 who reported experiences of elder abuse or who reported that they were still suffering from abuse that had occurred earlier in life were included. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results The analysis resulted in five themes, three pertaining to strategies used to manage abusive experiences (self-reliant coping, restoring dignity in relation to others, and needing formal and informal help) and two pertaining to the disclosure process (inner resistance to disclosure, and external barriers and facilitators for disclosure). Conclusion Older adults were found to use a combination of different strategies to manage abusive experiences. Some were self-reliant, but older adults often managed their experiences with the help of others. Health care professionals were generally in a position to facilitate disclosure, but some participants reported poor encounters with health care. The findings indicate a need to facilitate disclosure by, for example, training professionals on issues related to elder abuse and developing more easily navigated response systems that can respond to the complex needs of older adults trying to manage abusive experiences. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-022-03143-y.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Simmons
- Department of Acute Internal Medicine and Geriatrics in Linköping, and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Nicolina Wiklund
- Department of Acute Internal Medicine and Geriatrics in Linköping, and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Mikael Ludvigsson
- Department of Acute Internal Medicine and Geriatrics in Linköping, and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Department of Psychiatry in Linköping, and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Giraldo-Rodríguez L, Mino-León D, Aragón-Grijalva SO, Agudelo-Botero M. The revictimization of older Mexican women: understanding the accumulation of multiple victimizations throughout a lifetime. BMC Geriatr 2022; 22:41. [PMID: 35012475 PMCID: PMC8751368 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-021-02734-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The victimization of women constitutes a human rights violation and a health risk factor. The central objectives of this study were to analyze the probability of revictimization among older adult Mexican women and to examine whether child abuse (CA) and/or intimate partner violence (IPV) are associated with a greater risk of elder abuse (EA) victimization. Methods We conducted a secondary data analysis of 18416 women 60 and older, based on data from the National Survey on the Dynamics of Household Relationships (2016), which is national and subnational representative. A descriptive analysis was carried out using retrospective self-reports of victimization experiences (CA, IPV, and EA). The prevalence of victimization and multiple victimizations in the various stages of the lives of women, as well as of revictimization among older adult women were obtained. Bayesian logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between victimization, multiple victimization, and EA victimization. Results A total of 17.3% of the older adult women reported EA in the last year; of these, 81.0% had been revictimized and 14.0% reported CA, IPV, and EA. The risk of EA rose among women who reported a combination of psychological and sexual CA, and psychological, physical and sexual CA and psychological and sexual IPV, and a psychological, economic, physical and sexual IPV. EA was higher among women who had suffered more than one type of violence. Conclusion CA and IPV, particularly sexual abuse and psychological violence, can be risk factors for EA. Screening tools used to prevent and detect EA should include questions about domestic violence over the course of a person’s lifetime.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Dolores Mino-León
- Unidad de Investigación en Epidemiología Clínica, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional "Siglo XXI", Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sergio Olinsser Aragón-Grijalva
- Maestría en Ciencias Matemáticas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Marcela Agudelo-Botero
- Centro de Investigación en Políticas, Población y Salud, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Asyraf M, Dunne MP, Hairi NN, Mohd Hairi F, Radzali N, Wan Yuen C. The association between elder abuse and childhood adversity: A study of older adults in Malaysia. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254717. [PMID: 34292992 PMCID: PMC8297753 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Childhood adversity has been linked with later victimization of young and middle-aged adults, but few studies have shown persistence of this effect among elders, especially outside of North America. This research examined the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and elder abuse among older adults aged 60 years and over in Malaysia. DESIGN Cross sectional data were collected via face-to-face interview from June to August 2019. SETTING Eight government community health clinics in Kuala Pilah, a district in Negeri Sembilan state approximately 100km from Malaysian capital city Kuala Lumpur. PARTICIPANTS Older adults aged 60 years and above (N = 1984; Mean age 69.2, range 60-93 years) attending all eight government health clinics in the district were recruited for a face-to-face interview about health and well-being. MEASUREMENT The Adverse Childhood Experience International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) and the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) were utilized to estimate childhood adversity and elder abuse respectively. RESULTS Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between the number of cumulative ACEs and elder abuse. Compared to older adults with no self-reported adversity, those reporting three ACEs (OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.84,3.87) or four or more ACEs (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.16, 2.48) had higher risk of any elder abuse occurrence since age 60 years. The effect was most prominent for financial and psychological elder abuse. The associations persisted in multivariate logistic regression models after adjusting for sociodemographic and health factors. CONCLUSION Early life adversities were significantly associated with victimization of older adults. Social and emotional support to address elder abuse should recognize that, for some men and women, there is a possibility that vulnerability to maltreatment persisted throughout their life course.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Asyraf
- Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Michael P. Dunne
- Institute for Community Health Research, Hue University, Hue, Vietnam
- Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Noran N. Hairi
- Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Farizah Mohd Hairi
- Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Noraliza Radzali
- Kuala Pilah District Health Office, Ministry of Health, Kuala Pilah, Malaysia
| | - Choo Wan Yuen
- Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Simmons J, Swahnberg K. Lifetime prevalence of polyvictimization among older adults in Sweden, associations with ill-heath, and the mediating effect of sense of coherence. BMC Geriatr 2021; 21:129. [PMID: 33596824 PMCID: PMC7891035 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-021-02074-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Experiences of violence and abuse is a prominent part of the life history of many older adults and is known to have negative health effects. However, the importance of multiple victimization over the life course, e.g., lifetime polyvictimization, is not well investigated in this age group. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of lifetime physical, emotional, and sexual victimization as well as polyvictimization among older adults in Sweden. We explored background characteristics associated with polyvictimization and hypothesized that violence victimization and especially polyvictimization would be associated with lower health status. To better understand factors that promote health in the aftermath of victimization, we also explored the effect of two resilience factors, sense of coherence (SOC) and social support, on the association between victimization and ill-health. Method Cross-sectional data from a random population sample in Sweden (women n = 270, men n = 337) aged 60–85 was used. Respondents answered questions about exposure to violence, health status, social support, and SOC. Conditional process analysis was used to test if SOC mediates the association between victimization and health outcome, and if social support moderates the association. Results Overall, 24.8% of the women and 27.6% of the men reported some form of lifetime victimization and 82.1% of the female and 62.4% of the male victims were classified as polyvictims, i.e., reported experiences of more than one episode of violence. As hypothesized, we found a negative association between victimization and health status and the association was most prominent for polyvictims. We found moderated mediation for the association between polyvictimization and health status, i.e., polyvictimization was associated with lower SOC and SOC had a positive correlation with health status. Social support moderated the association, i.e., victims without social support had lower health scores. Conclusions Lifetime polyvictimization was common among older adults and associated with lower health status. To help victims of violence recover, or preferably never develop ill-health, a better understanding of what fosters resilience is warranted. This study implies that social support, and especially SOC may be factors to consider in future interventions concerning older adults subjected to violence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Simmons
- Department of Acute Internal Medicine and Geriatrics in Linköping, and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Katarina Swahnberg
- Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Marshall K, Herbst J, Girod C, Annor F. Do interventions to prevent or stop abuse and neglect among older adults work? A systematic review of reviews. J Elder Abuse Negl 2020; 32:409-433. [PMID: 32957832 DOI: 10.1080/08946566.2020.1819926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Abuse and neglect among older adults impact everyone and are recognized internationally as significant and growing public health issues. A systematic review of reviews was conducted to identify effective strategies and approaches for preventing abuse and neglect among older adults. Eligible reviews were systematic or meta-analyses; focused on the older population as reported in the publications; reviewed prevention interventions; included relevant violence and abuse outcomes; written in English; and published in a peer-reviewed journal between January 2000 and May 2020. Eleven unique reviews (12 publications) met the eligibility criteria, including one meta-analysis. Included reviews mainly focused on general abuse directed toward older adults; and educational interventions for professional and paraprofessional caregivers, multidisciplinary teams of health care and legal professionals, and families. Interventions were implemented in a variety of community and institutional settings and addressed primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. The reviews indicated weak or insufficient evidence of effectiveness in preventing or reducing abuse, yet several promising practices were identified. Future research is needed to evaluate emerging and promising strategies and approaches to prevent abuse among older adults. Effective interventions are also needed to prevent or reduce abuse and neglect among older adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khiya Marshall
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention , Atlanta, United States
| | - Jeffrey Herbst
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention , Atlanta, United States
| | - Candace Girod
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention , Atlanta, United States
| | - Francis Annor
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention , Atlanta, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Dong X. Advancing Asian Health Equity: Multimodal Approach to Translate Research into Practice and Policy. J Am Geriatr Soc 2020; 67:S476-S478. [PMID: 31403206 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.16110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- XinQi Dong
- Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Simmons J, Wiklund N, Ludvigsson M, Nägga K, Swahnberg K. Validation of REAGERA-S: a new self-administered instrument to identify elder abuse and lifetime experiences of abuse in hospitalized older adults. J Elder Abuse Negl 2020; 32:173-195. [PMID: 32148186 DOI: 10.1080/08946566.2020.1737614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to develop and validate REAGERA-S, a self-administered instrument to identify elder abuse as well as lifetime experiences of abuse in older adults. REAGERA-S consists of nine questions concerning physical, emotional, sexual, financial abuse and neglect. Participants were recruited among patients (≥ 65 years) admitted to acute in-hospital care (n = 179). Exclusion criteria were insufficient physical, cognitive, or language capacity to complete the instrument. A semi-structured interview conducted by a physician was used as a gold standard against which to assess the REAGERA-S. The final version was answered by 95 older adults, of whom 71 were interviewed. Sensitivity for lifetime experiences of abuse was 71.9% and specificity 92.3%. For elder abuse, sensitivity was 87.5% and specificity was 92.3%. REAGERA-S performed well in validation and can be recommended for use in hospitals to identify elder abuse as well as life-time experience of abuse among older adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Simmons
- Department of Acute Internal Medicine and Geriatrics in Linköping, and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Nicolina Wiklund
- Department of Acute Internal Medicine and Geriatrics in Linköping, and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Mikael Ludvigsson
- Department of Psychiatry,Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Katarina Nägga
- Department of Acute Internal Medicine and Geriatrics in Linköping, and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Katarina Swahnberg
- Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|