Elder abuse and depression in Korean older adults: roles of trust and social support

METHOD: We conducted regression-based path analysis using data from the 2023 Living Profiles of Older People Survey, which was conducted by the Korean Institute for Health and Social Affairs and Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. The participants were 9950 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 and over. RESULTS: The results indicated that elder abuse experience was positively associated with depressive symptoms. Interpersonal trust mediated the relationship between experience of abuse and depression level. Moreover, social support moderated the relationship between elder abuse and depression, as well as interpersonal trust and depression. CONCLUSION: These results show that interpersonal trust and social support play crucial roles in Korean older victims' mental health. Based on these findings, field practitioners and policymakers should focus on restoring interpersonal trust among older victims and expanding their social support systems.