Abstract
Abstract
Background: Psychological health effects of elder abuse and neglect in sheltered homes are unknown. Objectives:The objective of the present study was to determine if several types of elder abuse were related to an increased likelihood of negative psychological health. Methods: Data were derived from the elder mistreatment in sheltered homes project, a cross-sectional study conducted in 2018 that included 446 older adults living in 43 sheltered homes.A face-to-face interview was carried out to complete structured questionnaires for participants to assess the psychological health effects of different subtypes of elder abuse. Results:All subtypes of elder abuse were significantly associated with increased prevalence rates of depressive symptoms and sleep problems. Similarly, all subtypes except physical abuse were associated with higher rates of anxiety symptoms. In multivariate regression analysis, Older adults who reported physical mistreatment were three times more likely to experience suicidal ideation(OR=3.28, 95% CI=1.14 to 9.44), while no other subtypes were significantly associated with suicidal ideation.Older adults who report at least one type of abuse were eight times more likely to have depressive symptoms (OR=7.99, 95% CI=4.43 to 14.41), twice as likely to screen positive for anxiety symptoms(OR=2.05, 95% CI=1.20 to 3.49), three times more likely to have sleep problems (OR=3.20, 95% (CI=1.78 to 5.75). All subtypes of abuse were significantly associated with the presence of depressive symptoms, sleep problems, and anxiety symptoms except physical mistreatment. Conclusion: Abuse is common among older adults living in sheltered homes and is associated with negative impacts on psychological health.