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When care turns to harm: Unveiling abusive behaviors of older towards their caregivers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 August 2025

S. von Humboldt ,
N. Ilyas  and
I. Leal
S. von Humboldt*
Affiliation:
William James Center for Research, ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
N. Ilyas
Affiliation:
Center for Clinical Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
I. Leal
Affiliation:
William James Center for Research, ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Violent, abusive, and harmful behavior enacted by older adults upon their caregivers represents a distressing and frequently disregarded facet within the domain of caregiving.

Objectives

This qualitative study aims to 1) explore family caregivers’ experiences of violent, abusive, and harmful behavior by the older person and 2) explore how violent, abusive, and harmful behavior by the older person affects family caregivers’ mental health.

Methods

This qualitative study encompassed 307 participants, with a diverse age range spanning from 65 to 87 years. All the interviews went through the process of content analysis.

Results

For the first objective, findings indicated six emerging themes: Persistent and intense verbal abuse (79.1%); Subjugation and manipulation by older adults (72.5%); Unexpected illicit activities initiated by older adults (62.1%); Financial exploitation by older adults (39.8%); Physical abuse (31.5.%); and Sexual abuse (30.7%). The second objective highlighted four themes: High levels of anxiety and depression (87.9%), Intense rage (79.4%), Feelings of moral isolation (77.4%), and Intense explosions (63.6%). Brazilian participants mainly experienced persistent and intense verbal abuse (64.1%). Moreover, higher levels of depression and anxiety were mainly verbalized by English participants (81.8%).

Conclusions

These findings underscore the significant toll that older individuals’ violent, abusive, and harmful behavior can have on the mental well-being of family caregivers. This study sheds light on the complex experiences faced by family caregivers and emphasizes the urgent need for targeted interventions to foster healthier caregiving environments.

Keywords: Carers; family caregivers; mental health; older adults; violent, abusive and harmful behavior.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Information

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 68 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 33rd European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2025 , pp. S871
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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