Περίληψη:
Background: Being a victim of abuse during one's life course may affect
social relations in later life. The aims of this study were to: (i)
examine the association between lifetime abuse and perceived social
support and (ii) identify correlates of perceived social support among
older persons living in seven European countries. Methods: A sample of
4467 women and men aged 60-84 years living in Germany, Greece, Italy,
Lithuania, Portugal, Spain and Sweden was collected through a
cross-sectional population-based study. Abuse (psychological, physical,
sexual, financial and injury) was assessed through interviews or
interviews/self-response questionnaire based on the Conflict Tactics
Scale-2 and the UK study on elder abuse. Perceived social support was
assessed by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.
Results: Victims of lifetime abuse perceived poorer social support in
later life. Multivariate analyses showed that high levels of perceived
social support were associated with being from Greece and Lithuania
(compared to Germany), being female, not living alone, consuming alcohol
and physical activity. Poorer perceived social support was associated
with being from Portugal, being old, having social benefits as the main
source of income, experiencing financial strain and being exposed to
lifetime psychological abuse and injuries. Conclusions: Our findings
showed that exposure to psychological abuse and injuries across the
lifespan were associated with low levels of perceived social support,
emphasizing the importance of detection and appropriate treatment of
victims of abuse during their life course. Future research should focus
on coping strategies buffering the negative effects of abuse on social
relationships.
Συγγραφείς:
Eslami, Bahareh
Di Rosa, Mirko
Barros, Henrique
Stankunas,
Mindaugas
Torres-Gonzalez, Francisco
Ioannidi-Kapolou, Elisabeth
and Lindert, Jutta
Melchiorre, Maria Gabriella
