Psychological abuse and its characteristic correlates among elderly Taiwanese

This study examined the prevalence of psychological abuse and identified individual characteristics associated with different levels of psychological abuse in a group of randomly selected elderly Taiwanese. A cross-sectional design was performed that utilized a descriptive-correlational approach. Data for this study were gathered from several communities in southern Taiwan. The sample comprised 195 elderly Taiwanese aged 60 years or older, capable of verbal communication, and partially dependent on a caregiver. The Psychological Elder Abuse Scale (PEAS), the Short Portable Mental State Questionnaire (SPMSQ), and the Barthel's Index were used for data collection. The findings demonstrated that the PEAS score range was 0–24 (mean 6.32 ± 4.6). Moreover, 44 subjects (22.6%) had scores of ten or greater. The most frequently reported indicators in the PEAS were “wishes to see family members unfulfilled” and “economic dependence on others”. The analytical results also showed that the SPMSQ and Barthel's Index scores were strongly related to the PEAS score (p < 0.001), indicating psychological abuse appeared higher among elderly people with lower cognitive and physical functioning. The findings of this study are crucial in developing a national system for protecting the elderly, and a continuing educational plan is required for enforcing communication between caregivers and elders.