科研之友
微信
新浪微博
Facebook
分享链接
摘要
Several studies draw attention to the fact that elder abuse is a complex and multi-dimensional social problem. It has been noticed that institutionalization and disturbing behaviors that result from dementia represent risk factors for mistreatment. In this regard, we have tested if an adapted version of Child Abuse and Trauma Scale can efficiently assess different types of abuse on people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) living in institutional settings. Our choice of an instrument that would ordinarily be used to measure abuse in childhood and adolescence is based on the concept of retrogenesis. This term refers to the process of AD degenerative reversal recapitulation of human ontogenic acquisition patterns. In the present study, we have found that the chosen scale is a reliable screening tool for different forms of abuse in institutionalized AD subjects, providing both a useful, ethically and humanely relevant assessment instrument, and additional evidence for the retrogenesis process. With respect to the frequency of occurrence, neglect and emotional abuse were the most common forms of abuse reported by the study participants, followed by punishment and physical abuse, while sexual abuse was the least reported. Women questioned in this study were found to be more predisposed than men to sexual abuse, while the men were found to be more predisposed to physical abuse. Moreover, the subjects with mild AD reported lower levels of punishment, neglect and emotional abuse when compared to the other AD institutional residents included in this study. In conclusion, our findings will hopefully contribute to the more widespread identification of abuse in persons with dementia, as well as to the development of prevention and intervention strategies.
- 出版日期2011-3
