Verbal mistreatment of the elderly.

Elder mistreatment is expected to rise with the aging of the American population. To date, the association between specific forms of mistreatment and decreased quality of life is poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to explore the association between verbal mistreatment among elderly individuals and depression and quality of life. A sample of 142 older adults (40% male) aged 65 or over was enrolled from a large medical practice and academic dental practice, mean (SD) age = 74.88 (6.98) years. Thirty-eight percent of the sample reported verbal mistreatment. Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and depression, verbal mistreatment was a significant predictor of social functioning (r = -.28, p < .001), mental health (r = -.25, p < .001), and role limitations OR = 3.02, 95% CI [1.34-6.77]. The present findings highlight the prevalence of verbal mistreatment of elderly individuals.