Association of elder abuse, crime victimhood and perceived neighbourhood safety with major depression among older adults in India: a cross-sectional study using data from the LASI baseline survey (2017-2018)

Objective The study aims to explore the associations of elder abuse, crime victimhood and perceived safety with depression among older adults and examine the interactive effects of sex and place of residence in those associations. Design A cross-sectional study was conducted using a large survey data. Setting and participants The study used data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India wave 1 (2017-2018). The effective sample size was 31 464 older adults (aged 60 years or older). Primary and secondary outcome measures The outcome variable was major depression, calculated using Short Form Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Descriptive statistics along with bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to fulfil the objectives. Results 5.22% of the older adults (n=1587) experienced abuse in the past 1 year. 1.33% of the older individuals (n=402) were victims of a violent crime, and 14.30% (n=1886) perceived an unsafe neighbourhood. Also, 8.67% of the older adults (n=2657) were suffering from depression. Older adults who were abused had 2.5 odds of suffering from depression (adjusted OR (AOR): 2.47, CI: 1.96 to 3.10) and victims of a violent crime were 84% more likely to be depressed (AOR: 1.84, CI: 1.15 to 2.95) compared with their counterparts. Besides, older individuals who perceived as living in unsafe neighbourhood were 61% more likely to be depressed (AOR: 1.61, CI: 1.34 to 1.93) compared with their counterparts. In the interaction analysis, older women who reported abuse had higher odds of suffering from depression (AOR: 3.27; CI: 2.34 to 4.57) compared with older men who were not abused. Similar result was found in older adults reporting abuse and residing in rural areas (AOR: 3.01, CI: 2.22 to 4.07) compared with those urban residents reporting no abuse. Conclusions Healthcare providers should pay more attention to the mental health implications of elder abuse, crime victimhood and perceived safety to grasp the underlying dynamics of the symptomology of late-life depression.

Automated summary

The study found significant associations between elder abuse, crime victimization, perceived safety, and depression among older adults, with interactive effects of sex and place of residence. Older adults who experienced abuse or were victims of a crime were more likely to suffer from depression, as were those who perceived their neighborhood as unsafe. Interaction analysis showed that older women and rural residents who reported abuse had higher odds of depression compared to their counterparts. Healthcare providers should pay attention to the mental health implications of elder abuse, crime victimization, and perceived safety in addressing late-life depression.