Dataset Information

Help-Seeking Among Victims of Elder Abuse: Findings From the National Elder Mistreatment Study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The vast majority of elder abuse (EA) victims remain hidden from formal institutional response systems. Guided by the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, this study examined factors that facilitate or impede formal help-seeking among victims of elder emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse.

Methods

Data came from a national, population-based EA study in the United States with a representative sample (n = 304) of past-year victims. Gold-standard strategies were used to assess EA subtypes. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to identify help-seeking facilitators/barriers.

Results

Help-seeking through reporting to police or other authorities occurred among only 15.4% of EA victims. Help-seeking was higher among victims of physical abuse, poly-victimization, or those with a perpetrator having prior police trouble. Help-seeking was lower among victims who were dependent upon their perpetrator and in cases where the perpetrator had a large friendship network.

Discussion

This study highlights the hidden nature of EA as a problem in our society and the need to develop strategies that incorporate victim, perpetrator, and victim-perpetrator relationship factors to promote greater help-seeking among victims.

SUBMITTER: Burnes D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6566322 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Help-Seeking Among Victims of Elder Abuse: Findings From the National Elder Mistreatment Study.

Burnes David D Acierno Ron R Hernandez-Tejada Melba M

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences 20190601 5

<h4>Objectives</h4>The vast majority of elder abuse (EA) victims remain hidden from formal institutional response systems. Guided by the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, this study examined factors that facilitate or impede formal help-seeking among victims of elder emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse.<h4>Methods</h4>Data came from a national, population-based EA study in the United States with a representative sample (n = 304) of past-year victims. Gold-standard strategies ...[more]

PMID: 30329112

Similar Datasets

Project description:ObjectivesTo understand help-seeking by male victims of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) and their experiences of support services by systematically identifying qualitative and mixed-method studies and thematically synthesising their findings.DesignSystematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis. Searches were conducted in 12 databases and the grey literature with no language or date restrictions. Quality appraisal of the studies was carried out using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Reviewers extracted first and second order constructs related to help-seeking, identified themes and combined them by interpretative thematic synthesis.SettingDVA experienced by male victims and defined as any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse among people aged 18 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality.ParticipantsMale victims of DVA.InterventionsAny intervention which provides practical and/or psychological support to male victims of DVA including but not limited to DVA-specific services, primary healthcare and sexual health clinics.Primary and secondary outcome measuresQualitative data describing help-seeking experiences and interactions with support services of male victims of domestic violence RESULTS: We included twelve studies which were published between 2006 and 2017. We grouped nine themes described over two phases (a) barriers to help-seeking: fear of disclosure, challenge to masculinity, commitment to relationship, diminished confidence/despondency and invisibility/perception of services; and (b) experiences of interventions and support: initial contact, confidentiality, appropriate professional approaches and inappropriate professional approaches.ConclusionThe recent publication of the primary studies suggests a new interest in the needs of male DVA victims. We have confirmed previously identified barriers to help-seeking by male victims of DVA and provide new insight into barriers and facilitators to service provision.Prospero registration numberCRD42016039999.

Project description:BackgroundDomestic violence and abuse is a violation of human rights which damages the health and wellbeing of victims, their families and their friends. There has been less research on the experiences and support needs of male victims than those of women. Historically research on men's experiences has not focused on what constitutes effective, needs-led service provision. The aim of this paper was to conduct an integrated mixed methods synthesis of systematic review evidence on the topic of help-seeking by male victims of domestic violence and abuse.MethodsAn integrated mixed methods synthesis approach was taken to enhance our understanding of the complex phenomenon of help seeking by, and service provision to male victims. This process also identifies gaps in the evidence. Using previously identified systematic review data; mixed methods data from four primary-level service evaluation studies, along with expert and patient consultation were used to develop research propositions. Primary-level qualitative interview and survey data from 12 studies of men experiences were mapped onto the propositions to support them.ResultsFourteen propositions were composed. Seven propositions were supported or at least partly supported by the qualitative data. These supported propositions were used to make recommendations for policy and practice particularly concerning service preferences of male victims. The remaining seven propositions were not specifically supported by the qualitative data. These unsupported propositions were used to develop research recommendations concerning the need to further understand the potential blurred boundaries of victim-perpetrator, hybrid perpetrator-victim experiences, men who are/have been victims of childhood sexual abuse and determining the level of risk for men. They also highlight the need to produce better guidance for the response of the police & the criminal justice system. Finally, they highlight the need to produce the most appropriate service for men in terms of access, linkage, substance/alcohol abuse, mental health, sexuality, and race.ConclusionIntegrated mixed-methods synthesis of systematic review evidence is a relatively novel approach. This approach can lead to recommendations for policy and practice as well as highlighting gaps in the research agenda as shown in this example.

Project description:BACKGROUND:The definition and understanding of elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes can vary in different jurisdictions as well as among health care staff, researchers, family members and residents themselves. Different understandings of what constitutes abuse and its severity make it difficult to compare findings in the literature on elder abuse in nursing homes and complicate identification, reporting, and managing the problem. Knowledge about nursing home leaders' perceptions of elder abuse and neglect is of particular interest since their understanding of the phenomenon will affect what they signal to staff as important to report and how they investigate adverse events to ensure residents' safety. The aim of the study was to explore nursing home leaders' perceptions of elder abuse and neglect. METHODS:A qualitative exploratory study with six focus group interviews with 28 nursing home leaders in the role of care managers was conducted. Nursing home leaders' perceptions of different types of abuse within different situations were explored. The constant comparative method was used to analyse the data. RESULTS:The results of this study indicate that elder abuse and neglect are an overlooked patient safety issue. Three analytical categories emerged from the analyses: 1) Abuse from co-residents: 'A normal part of nursing home life'; resident-to-resident aggression appeared to be so commonplace that care leaders perceived it as normal and had no strategy for handling it; 2) Abuse from relatives: 'A private affair'; relatives with abusive behaviour visiting nursing homes residents was described as difficult and something that should be kept between the resident and the relatives; 3) Abuse from direct-care staff: 'An unthinkable event'; staff-to-resident abuse was considered to be difficult to talk about and viewed as not being in accordance with the leaders' trust in their employees. CONCLUSIONS:Findings in the present study show that care managers lack awareness of elder abuse and neglect, and that elder abuse is an overlooked patient safety issue. The consequence is that nursing home residents are at risk of being harmed and distressed. Care managers lack knowledge and strategies to identify and adequately manage abuse and neglect in nursing homes.

Dataset Information

Help-Seeking Among Victims of Elder Abuse: Findings From the National Elder Mistreatment Study.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Publications

Help-Seeking Among Victims of Elder Abuse: Findings From the National Elder Mistreatment Study.

Similar Datasets

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