Bridging Disciplinary Boundaries (January 11 - 14, 2007)

Elder mistreatment negatively influences on an older person's physical, psychological, and social well-being. Available research reveals serious negative consequences of elder mistreatment on elders' physical as well as mental health. Existing data also suggest a rapidly growing trend of elder mistreatment among older adults as well as minority elderly. However, elder mistreatment has yet to be recognized as a social problem in ethnic minority communities, particularly among immigrant families. Although elder mistreatment is rarely acknowledged or discussed as a social problem in immigrant communities, there has been growing evidence to suggest that a substantial number of immigrant elderly people could be victims or at high risk of elder mistreatment. In order to intervene and meet the needs of victimized minority elderly, attention to the definitions, perceptions, and help-seeking behaviors of these groups is urgent.

Elder mistreatment is a socially and culturally situated phenomenon. Culture seems to guide how elderly and non-elderly adults define elder mistreatment and construct their perceptions of elder mistreatment and responses to the problem. However, the manner in which different cultures and immigration backgrounds influence the definition and construction of elder mistreatment has not been fully explored. Therefore, current study presents the results of mixed method data on (1) definitions of psychological abuse voiced by elderly Korean immigrants and (2) cultural and non-cultural factors related to perceptions of and help-seeking behaviors for psychological abuse. 124 elderly Korean immigrants aged between 59 and 80 were recruited by using a quota sampling strategy. To document definitions of psychological abuse, each respondent was asked to provide behavior-specific definitions of psychological abuse. A scenario describing a hypothetical psychological abuse situation was utilized in order to measure the sample's perception and help-seeking behavior.

A total of 267 definitions of psychological abuse was generated by the sample. Using Atlas ti. 5.0, a software package for qualitative analysis, and grounded theory, three major definitional dimensions were identified: 1) Non-verbal abuse (61.0%), 2) verbal abuse (17.2%), and 3) neglect (13.1%). Culture played a critical role particularly when respondents defined non-verbal abuse; about 42% were defined on the basis of culture-specific values and ethics, such as filial piety. Examples are “No observation of traditional cultural values and ethics,” “Giving silent treatment,” “Forcing elderly parents to follow adult children's values or opinions,” and “Not discussing family matters with elders.”

Binary logistic regression analysis showed that: 1) Those who have more negative attitude toward older adults and higher level of awareness of formal services were more likely to perceive the psychologically abusive circumstance as an elder mistreatment case and 2) those who have higher level of awareness of formal services were more likely to seek help, while those who have higher level of social support were less likely to seek outside help.

These findings will be discussed in relation to the development of prevention and intervention strategies for the immigrant group of older adults as well as implications for social policy, practice, and research.