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Li Y, Ji W, Dong X, Guo J, Cai M, Gong X, Xie X, Hou C, Gao J. Experiences of the Older Adults After Being Abused: A Qualitative Meta-synthesis. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2024:15248380241270026. [PMID: 39150088 DOI: 10.1177/15248380241270026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Elder abuse is a global public health problem with severe social costs. Research on elder abuse has gradually increased; however, less attention has been paid to older adults' perceptions and experiences of abuse. This review aimed to integrate older adults' perceptions and experiences of abuse to provide a theoretical basis for developing interventions that meet their authentic needs. Six electronic databases were searched to include qualitative studies examining perceptions and experiences of abuse among adults aged 60 years or older, and 22 studies were included. This study used the Joanna Briggs Institute meta-aggregation approach to integrate the qualitative findings, which identified four themes: (a) changes resulting from elder abuse, (b) causes of abuse, (c) barrier factors and facilitating factors to the disclosure of abusive behavior, and (d) adopting different response strategies. The findings revealed that older adults experience persistent physical and psychological burdens and financial stress following abuse. Multiple factors influence the emergence of abuse and older adults search for help from the outside world, especially social support and perceptions of abuse. Older adults can deal with abuse by accepting the status quo or taking steps to change it. These findings have important implications for helping older adults prevent and cope with abuse experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Li
- College of Nursing, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wenting Ji
- College of Nursing, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaohui Dong
- College of Nursing, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Julan Guo
- Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Mingjin Cai
- College of Nursing, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoyan Gong
- College of Nursing, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xuemei Xie
- College of Nursing, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Chaoming Hou
- College of Nursing, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing Gao
- College of Nursing, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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von Humboldt S, Ilyas N, Leal I. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing? Violent, Abusive, and Harmful Behavior by the Older Person Toward Their Family Caregivers: A Qualitative Study. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2024:8862605241263589. [PMID: 39066570 DOI: 10.1177/08862605241263589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Violent, abusive, and harmful behavior enacted by older adults upon their caregivers represents a distressing and frequently disregarded facet within the domain of caregiving. This qualitative study aims to (a) explore family caregivers' experiences of violent, abusive, and harmful behavior by the older person and (b) explore how violent, abusive, and harmful behavior by the older person affects family caregivers' mental health. This qualitative study encompassed 393 participants, with a diverse age range spanning from 40 to 72 years. All the interviews went through the process of content analysis. For the first objective, findings indicated six emerging themes: Frequent and extreme verbal violence (77.3%); feeling manipulated and controlled by older adults (74.7%); experiencing unpredictable illegal circumstances provoked by older adults (62.1%); experiencing damaging financial issues provoked by older adults (43.1%); experiencing physical violence (34.2.%); and experiencing sexual violence (31.1%). The second objective highlighted four themes: depression and anxiety (89.9 %), anger (81.2%), feeling morally isolated (78.3%), and emotional outbursts (65.1%). Brazilian participants mainly experienced frequent and extreme verbal violence (62.4%). Moreover, depression and anxiety were mainly verbalized by English participants (84.3%). These findings underscore the significant toll that older individuals' violent, abusive, and harmful behavior can have on the mental well-being of family caregivers. This study sheds light on the complex experiences faced by family caregivers and emphasizes the urgent need for targeted interventions to foster healthier caregiving environments. Older individuals' violent, abusive, and harmful behavior toward their caregivers has received limited attention in research and public discourse. The findings of this study call attention to the pressing need of addressing this issue, given its detrimental impact on the mental health of family carers. Recognizing the significance of this topic demands a comprehensive and targeted approach to ensure the well-being and safety of caregivers and older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia von Humboldt
- William James Center for Research, ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Namrah Ilyas
- Center for Clinical Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Isabel Leal
- William James Center for Research, ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
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von Humboldt S, Costa A, Ilyas N, Leal I. Older adults, perceived ageism, civic participation and mental health: a qualitative study. Aging Ment Health 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38709682 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2024.2348611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study has three objectives: A) To investigate the relationship of ageism on older adults' civic activities; B) To analyze the influence of ageism on mental health; and C) To explore the impact of civic participation on older adults' mental health. METHOD This qualitative study included 782 older people from three different nationalities (Portuguese, Brazilian, and English) ranging in age from 65 to 88. All the interviews went through the process of content analysis. RESULTS For the first objective, the findings encompass one high-level theme (Social and individual incompetence), which included social rejection (86%), reduced competence (84%), expectations of failure (83%), and not being able to contribute (77%). For the second objective, findings indicated two overarching categories: Perceived inability, including frustration and impotence (89%), incompetence (77%) and irrelevance (71%); and Perceived distress, including anger (81%), feelings of anxiety (68%); and emotional bursts (63%). For the third objective, the following two high-level themes emerged: Ego-oriented resources, which comprised the development of a sense of purpose (81%), learning cognitive skills (71%), and (A3) practising sense of agency (67%); and Social-oriented resources, encompassing feeling socially integrated (80%); and expressing emotionally (54%). Findings indicated that the most verbalized themes for the three objectives were the same across the three nationalities. CONCLUSIONS Ageism made it difficult for people to participate in civic life, which has been linked to better mental health. These findings emphasize the need to encourage inclusive civic involvement to improve older individuals' mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia von Humboldt
- William James Center for Research, ISPA - Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Andrea Costa
- William James Center for Research, ISPA - Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Namrah Ilyas
- Center for Clinical Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Isabel Leal
- William James Center for Research, ISPA - Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
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Ruan J, Zheng W, Zhuang Y. Everyday life experiences of Chinese community-dwelling oldest old who live alone at home. Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being 2023; 18:2253937. [PMID: 37667880 PMCID: PMC10481758 DOI: 10.1080/17482631.2023.2253937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Older adults aged ≥ 80 years living alone at home are more likely to experience challenges. Daily life experiences regarding living alone are still limited in the Asian context. This study explored the everyday life experiences of older Chinese residents living alone at home. Research questions included: (1) How do Chinese community-dwelling old people describe everyday life experiences related to living alone? (2) What kind of difficulties and needs do Chinese community-dwelling older people living alone face in everyday lives? (3) How do Chinese community-dwelling older people cope with challenges faced in their everyday lives related to living alone? METHODS This was qualitative descriptive research. Purposive sampling was adopted to recruit 13 participants aged 80-92 years of age from communities and one hospital. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data which was analysed by conventional content analysis. RESULTS Three themes were identified: theme 1-difficulty in finding a sense of belonging, theme 2-striving to maintain independence, theme 3-hard to gain a sense of control. CONCLUSIONS This study provided novel insights into understanding the difficulties and needs of Chinese older people living alone at home. Three key challenges and associated strategies they used to cope with in daily lives were presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayin Ruan
- School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Weina Zheng
- Department of Nursing, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yiyu Zhuang
- Department of Nursing, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Ribeiro-Gonçalves JA, Costa PA, Leal I. Loneliness, ageism, and mental health: The buffering role of resilience in seniors. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2023; 23:100339. [PMID: 36168598 PMCID: PMC9485034 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2022.100339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Ageism and loneliness are two relevant public health phenomena because of their negative impact on the senior's mental health. With the increase in average life expectancy, these tend to co-occur, which may increase the psychological distress (PD) of seniors. Resilience has been shown to be an important protective factor of seniors mental health, although its potential buffering role of public health risk factors with cumulative impact on mental health, such as loneliness and ageism, needs to be more studied. Aim To assess the potential mediator role of resilience between the effects of ageism and loneliness on PD in seniors. Methods A sample of 349 Portuguese seniors aged 60 years and over was collected through an online survey and during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Seniors completed the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), the Short-Form of UCLA Loneliness Scale (USL-6), the Ambivalent Ageism Scale (AAS) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). A mediation analysis model was developed with resilience as a mediating variable. Results There were moderate to high levels of PD and moderate levels of ageism, loneliness and resilience. Resilience fully mediated the effect of ageism on PD and partially mediated the effect of loneliness on PD. Conclusions Resilience was an important protective factor of mental health against the effects of ageism, and partially protected mental health from the effects of loneliness among seniors. It is suggested that resilience be considered as a factor to be integrated in future intervention programs for mental health. The practical applicability of this study is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Alberto Ribeiro-Gonçalves
- Corresponding author at: William James Center for Research, ISPA - University Institute, Rua Jardim do Tabaco, n° 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal.
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Sánchez-Román M, Autric-Tamayo G, Fernandez-Mayoralas G, Rojo-Perez F, Agulló-Tomás MS, Sánchez-González D, Rodriguez-Rodriguez V. Social Image of Old Age, Gendered Ageism and Inclusive Places: Older People in the Media. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:17031. [PMID: 36554910 PMCID: PMC9778791 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192417031] [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: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Ageism promotes the exclusion of older people from society by generating a negative image that they also internalize. The aim of this article is to investigate older people's social self-image, through statements broadcast on a national Spanish radio program aimed at this group. A qualitative analysis was conducted for a random sample from the sound archive for the Radio Nacional de España program Juntos Paso a Paso (Together, Step by Step) (2008-2021), using codes based on the pillars and determinants of active ageing and the three dimensions of ageism. Intercoder agreement was calculated. There were significant findings regarding ageism, gendered ageism and ageing in place, with differences according to size of municipal area. The program in question can be considered a viable secondary source for the research aim. Ageism is most commonly manifested through implicit opinions and invisibilization in family and social contexts. Care activities play a notably central role in responses related to gendered ageism. In relation to ageing in place, older people prefer their habitual environment when they have moderate care needs and accept moves to nursing homes when their needs increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Sánchez-Román
- Grupo de Investigacion sobre Envejecimiento (GIE), IEGD, CSIC, 28037 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gadea Autric-Tamayo
- Grupo de Investigacion sobre Envejecimiento (GIE), IEGD, CSIC, 28037 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Fermina Rojo-Perez
- Grupo de Investigacion sobre Envejecimiento (GIE), IEGD, CSIC, 28037 Madrid, Spain
| | - María Silveria Agulló-Tomás
- University Institute on Gender Studies and Social Analysis Department, University Carlos III of Madrid, Getafe, 28903 Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Sánchez-González
- Department of Geography, National Distance Education University (UNED), 28040 Madrid, Spain
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