Effects of the Elderly's Abuse Experiences on Their Suicidal Ideation & Mediation Effects of Stress, Depression and Social Supports

Abstract

The present study was carried out with a view to analyzing the effect of the elderly's abuse experiences on their suicidal ideation as well as the mediation effects of stress, depression and social supports. Stress and depression were selected as risk factors associated with suicidal ideation of the elderly in addition to their abuse experiences. Supports by family members, friends and others were set forth as social supports in this study. The subjects of the study were 969 Koreans aged over 65 who have experiences of having been accommodated in social welfare facilities across the country. Results, 1) 19.2% of the surveyed old persons experienced abuse. Of all types of abuse, emotional abuse occurred most frequently (15.1%), followed by economic abuse (7,7%), physical abuse (6.2%), neglect (4.5%), sexual violence (1.5%) and abandonment (1.3%); 2) there was significant difference in such various factors as risk factors, social supports and suicidal ideation depending on socio-demographic characters; 3) the stress and depression of the elderly with abuse experiences might intensify their suicidal ideation while the support by friends could ease it(explanation=38.3%). From the analyses, it was possible to find needs to draw social consensus of supporting the differentiated programs to prevent the elderly with abuse experiences from committing suicide and to treat their stress and depression as well as of introducing specialized peer counselling programs to save the elderly with abuse experiences from their trials to commit suicide.