PapersFlow Research Brief
Elder Abuse and Neglect
Research Guide
What is Elder Abuse and Neglect?
Elder abuse and neglect refers to the prevalence, correlates, risk factors, and impact of mistreatment including emotional, physical, sexual, financial abuse, and potential neglect among older adults in community and institutional settings.
This field encompasses 28,323 papers examining elder mistreatment, with a focus on prevalence, risk factors, mortality risk, interventions, and psychological impact. "Prevalence and Correlates of Emotional, Physical, Sexual, and Financial Abuse and Potential Neglect in the United States: The National Elder Mistreatment Study" by Acierno et al. (2009) reports estimates from a national sample of adults aged 60 or older. Studies also address financial exploitation and settings like communities and institutions.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Prevalence of Elder Abuse
This sub-topic examines the incidence rates and epidemiological patterns of elder abuse across community and institutional settings, including variations by demographics and geography. Researchers study survey methodologies, underreporting issues, and cross-national comparisons to establish baseline data.
Risk Factors for Elder Abuse
This sub-topic investigates individual, familial, and societal factors predisposing elders to abuse, such as caregiver stress, dependency, and socioeconomic conditions. Researchers analyze longitudinal data and multivariate models to identify modifiable risks.
Financial Exploitation of Elders
This sub-topic focuses on scams, undue influence, and theft targeting older adults' assets, including detection methods and victim profiles. Researchers explore legal frameworks, forensic accounting, and psychological vulnerabilities exploited in financial abuse.
Psychological Impact of Elder Mistreatment
This sub-topic assesses mental health outcomes like depression, anxiety, and PTSD resulting from emotional and physical abuse in elders. Researchers conduct clinical studies and meta-analyses on trauma responses and long-term cognitive effects.
Interventions for Elder Abuse Prevention
This sub-topic evaluates educational programs, mandatory reporting laws, and multidisciplinary team approaches to prevent and respond to elder abuse. Researchers perform randomized trials and cost-effectiveness analyses on intervention efficacy.
Why It Matters
Elder abuse and neglect contribute to mortality risk and psychological impact on older adults, affecting health systems and families. Acierno et al. (2009) in "Prevalence and Correlates of Emotional, Physical, Sexual, and Financial Abuse and Potential Neglect in the United States: The National Elder Mistreatment Study" estimated prevalence of emotional, physical, sexual, financial mistreatment, and potential neglect in a national sample of U.S. adults aged 60 or older, highlighting unmet needs for assistance. Krug et al. (2002) in "The world report on violence and health" addresses violence including elder mistreatment, informing global public health responses. These findings support targeted interventions in community and institutional settings to reduce mistreatment rates.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"Prevalence and Correlates of Emotional, Physical, Sexual, and Financial Abuse and Potential Neglect in the United States: The National Elder Mistreatment Study" by Acierno et al. (2009), as it provides direct U.S. prevalence data and definitions from a national sample, offering a concrete starting point for understanding forms and correlates of elder mistreatment.
Key Papers Explained
Krug et al. (2002) in "The world report on violence and health" establishes a global violence framework that contextualizes elder abuse within public health. Acierno et al. (2009) in "Prevalence and Correlates of Emotional, Physical, Sexual, and Financial Abuse and Potential Neglect in the United States: The National Elder Mistreatment Study" builds on this by quantifying U.S. prevalence and correlates for specific mistreatment types. Beard et al. (2016) in "The World Report on Ageing and Health" extends to aging policy implications, linking mistreatment risks to broader health outcomes.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Current work emphasizes risk factors, mortality, and interventions in community settings, with no recent preprints available. Focus remains on psychological impacts and financial exploitation from established studies like Acierno et al. (2009).
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The world report on violence and health | 2002 | The Lancet | 8.3K | ✕ |
| 2 | The disablement process | 1994 | Social Science & Medicine | 3.2K | ✓ |
| 3 | The World Report on Ageing and Health | 2016 | The Gerontologist | 2.9K | ✓ |
| 4 | Physical Violence in American Families: Risk Factors and Adapt... | 1990 | Contemporary Sociology... | 1.7K | ✕ |
| 5 | Valuing people: a New Strategy for Learning Disability for the... | 2002 | British Journal of Lea... | 1.4K | ✕ |
| 6 | Neuropathology of older persons without cognitive impairment f... | 2006 | Neurology | 1.3K | ✕ |
| 7 | Prevalence and Correlates of Emotional, Physical, Sexual, and ... | 2009 | American Journal of Pu... | 1.3K | ✓ |
| 8 | Immune neglect: A source of durability bias in affective forec... | 1998 | Journal of Personality... | 1.2K | ✕ |
| 9 | Physical Health Consequences of Physical and Psychological Int... | 2000 | Archives of Family Med... | 1.2K | ✕ |
| 10 | Maltreatment and disabilities: a population-based epidemiologi... | 2000 | Child Abuse & Neglect | 1.1K | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the prevalence of elder mistreatment in the United States?
Acierno et al. (2009) in "Prevalence and Correlates of Emotional, Physical, Sexual, and Financial Abuse and Potential Neglect in the United States: The National Elder Mistreatment Study" estimated prevalence of emotional, physical, sexual, and financial abuse plus potential neglect among adults aged 60 or older using a randomly selected national sample. Potential neglect was defined as an identified need for assistance that no one was actively addressing. The study assessed correlates of these forms of mistreatment.
What are key forms of elder abuse studied?
Studies identify emotional, physical, sexual, financial abuse, and potential neglect as primary forms of elder mistreatment. Acierno et al. (2009) measured these in a U.S. national sample of older adults. Financial exploitation appears alongside other types in community and institutional settings.
How does elder abuse relate to global violence reports?
Krug et al. (2002) in "The world report on violence and health" covers violence and health issues, including elder abuse within broader mistreatment contexts. The report provides a framework for understanding prevalence and impacts worldwide. It connects to demographic studies on aging populations.
What risk factors are associated with elder mistreatment?
Research focuses on correlates and risk factors for elder abuse in community and institutional settings. Acierno et al. (2009) assessed correlates of multiple abuse types in older U.S. adults. Mortality risk and psychological impact emerge as key outcomes linked to these factors.
What interventions address elder neglect?
Papers explore interventions for elder mistreatment, including neglect defined by unmet assistance needs. The field examines psychological impacts and strategies in various settings. Studies like those on prevalence inform intervention design.
Open Research Questions
- ? What specific risk factors most strongly predict financial exploitation in community-dwelling elders?
- ? How do interventions reduce mortality risk associated with elder mistreatment?
- ? What are the long-term psychological impacts of emotional abuse on older adults without cognitive impairment?
- ? Which correlates best distinguish elder abuse in institutional versus community settings?
Recent Trends
The field includes 28,323 works with no specified 5-year growth rate available.
High-citation papers like Acierno et al. with 1303 citations continue to anchor prevalence studies.
2009No recent preprints or news coverage in the last 12 months indicate steady reliance on prior empirical work.
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