The presence, chronicity, multiple mistreatments, and their association with the health of older adults

Elder mistreatment is an emerging public health concern in ageing societies, yet national evidence from India on its chronic and multiple forms is limited. Using data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) Wave 1 (2017-18), this study examines the prevalence, chronicity, and multiplicity of mistreatment and their associations with health outcomes among 30,760 adults aged 60 years and above. Multivariate analyses show that 5.2% of older adults experienced mistreatment, with women reporting higher prevalence, greater chronicity, and more multiple forms than men. Any, frequent, and multiple mistreatments were associated with higher depressive symptoms, poorer self-rated health, greater morbidity, and increased ADL and IADL limitations, with stronger effects among women. Cognitive functioning was adversely affected only in cases of frequent mistreatment. These findings indicate that elder mistreatment in India is often chronic and multidimensional, with pronounced gendered health consequences, underscoring the need for early screening and gender-sensitive interventions.