Elder abuse predicts later physical and mental health problems in a national long-term study

Elder mistreatment is associated with increased anxiety, loneliness, and worse health five years later among 2,261 older adults.

• Older adults who experienced verbal and financial mistreatment reported more anxiety symptoms five years later.
• Feelings of loneliness were greater in those who experienced mistreatment compared to those who did not.
• Physical and functional health declined in mistreated individuals over the five-year period.
• A novel association was found between financial mistreatment and deterioration in functional health.
• Social support did not appear to mitigate the negative health effects of mistreatment.

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