Elsie Yan

Background: Elder abuse and neglect (EAN) can lead to severe consequences among victims. However, older adults are often reluctant to seek help. This study explored the efficacy of using motivational interviewing (MI), a technique used to resolve ambivalence about behavioral change by strengthening one's motivation, in reducing subsequent EAN among older victims in Hong Kong. Methods: This prospective, two‐arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) enrolled Chinese‐speaking community‐dwelling older adults (age ≥ 60 years) at risk of EAN from 2022 to 2025. The intervention involved 4 individual sessions utilizing key MI techniques to identify personal goals and evoke motivation for change. The primary outcome was EAN in the past month as assessed with items modified from the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale and the Old Adult Financial Exploitation Measure; whilst secondary outcomes included subjective physical health, psychological well‐being, self‐efficacy, and social support. All outcomes were assessed at baseline, post‐intervention, and 3 months after the intervention. Results: A total of 359 older adults were eligible for the intervention. While 161 refused to participate, the final sample comprised 198 older adults (mean age: 73.6 years; female: 88.9%), of whom 99 received the intervention and the other 99 were wait‐list controls. Findings from the mixed‐effects model analysis showed that, compared with the control group, the intervention group experienced greater reductions in minor psychological aggression at the 3‐month follow‐up assessment (Cohen's d = 0.92, p < 0.001) as well as caregiver neglect at the post‐intervention assessment (Cohen's d = 0.57, p < 0.05). Similarly, the intervention group showed greater improvements in self‐efficacy (Cohen's d = 0.67‐0.83, all p < 0.05) and social support over time (Cohen's d = 2.08, p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study represents one of the first empirical evaluations using MI in EAN interventions. Findings suggest that MI by advocates can be a beneficial approach to help older adults at risk of EAN. Trail Registration: This RCT has been registered under the ISRCTN prior to the beginning of the study. The identifying number is ISRCTN35969462. The study protocol can be accessed at https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN35969462 .

This scoping review consolidates existing technology-enabled interventions for preventing and responding to abuse of older people (AOP). Studies reporting original, evaluated interventions in which technology delivered over 50% of the content or enabled coordination were included. Ten primary databases, four gray literature sources, and two artificial intelligence‑assisted platforms were searched for articles published between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2024. Two reviewers independently assessed study quality using JBI appraisal tools. Data were extracted by one reviewer and independently verified by a second using a standardized charting form. Of 46,195 records, 17 studies describing 14 technology-enabled interventions were included, targeting general ( n = 11), financial ( n = 2), or sexual ( n = 1) AOP. Nine were professional training programs, and five were direct AOP prevention interventions, comprising primary ( n = 1), secondary ( n = 2), and tertiary prevention ( n = 2). Technologies employed were: Web-based coordination portals ( n = 2) and tech-assisted individual interventions ( n = 12), such as e-learning and virtual reality. Although positive results for intermediate outcomes (e.g., service provision) were observed, evidence of alleviation of AOP occurrence and improvement of victim health remains limited. Current evidence is thus insufficient to recommend the adoption of technological interventions in response to AOP. We recommend (a) advancing scientific rigor by prioritizing randomized controlled trials with longitudinal follow-up, (b) employing objective, verified indicators for abuse victimization and victim health as outcome measures, and (c) establishing a standard evaluation framework to enable cross-study synthesis. This review was registered on PROSPERO (no. CRD420251139047).

Despite consistent evidence linking elder abuse to adverse mental health outcomes, quantitative estimates remain limited. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis focusing on the negative mental health consequences associated with elder abuse. A comprehensive search was performed across Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and Scopus for peer-reviewed quantitative studies examining elder abuse as an independent variable and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)-defined mental health outcomes among adults aged ≥60, published up to January 2024. A total of 23 studies comprising 73 effect sizes that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. The meta-analyses revealed that older adults who experienced abuse were at a significantly higher risk of adverse mental health outcomes, with a pooled odds ratio (OR) of 2.524 (95% CI [2.300, 2.769]), including depression (OR = 2.833 [2.419, 3.319]), anxiety (OR = 2.495 [2.000, 3.113]), suicidal ideation (OR = 2.249 [1.827, 2.769]), and sleep problems (OR = 2.368 [1.827, 3.070]). Despite evidence of publication bias, trim-and-fill adjustments moderately reduced effect sizes (overall: adjusted OR = 2.197; depression: adjusted OR = 2.094, sleep problems: adjusted OR = 1.732) without affecting robustness. Sensitivity analyses confirmed that results were stable after removing individual studies. Findings are primarily generalizable to community-dwelling older adults due to limited institutional data. Moderator analyses for anxiety outcomes should be interpreted with caution, given covariance among study-level factors. This is the first quantitative synthesis of elder abuse and mental health outcomes, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions and policies to mitigate these risks.

The Abuse of Older People – Intervention Accelerator (AOP-IA) project aims to accelerate the development of effective interventions to prevent and reduce AOP aged 60 and older within the framework of the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030). The AOP-IA was launched in response to the global need for interventions with proven effectiveness, as few existing approaches have been rigorously evaluated. This paper focuses on the first two phases of the AOP-IA project, which involved conducting a systematic search, screening and evaluation process to identify candidate interventions ready to be rigorously evaluated in future stages of the project, as well as establishing a network of intervention developers. The identification of interventions included an initial screening of 13 926 records and two rounds of evaluations by an expert panel. From this process, 89 promising interventions were identified, and subsequently, seven candidate interventions were selected for more rigorous scientific testing and evaluation. An adapted version of the Systematic Screening and Assessment Method was used to identify these interventions. The AOP-IA project demonstrates that interventions to prevent and reduce abuse of older adults exist in a variety of settings and countries, and that several interventions are ready for a rigorous evaluation to support continual programme improvement by intervention developers and long-term sustainability and scale-up globally.

Purpose: This study investigated the prevalence rates of various types of intimate partner violence (IPV) among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults in Hong Kong and examined the associations between IPV and different addictive behavior and mental health problems. Methods: A total of 759 LGB adults completed an online cross-sectional survey between November 2021 and February 2022. Data on past-year IPV and LGB-specific tactics (whether perpetrated or experienced by participants), addictive behavior, anxiety, depression, and demographics were collected and analyzed with descriptive statistics and logistic regressions. Results: Psychological aggression was the most common type of IPV within an LGB relationship (22.1%), followed by physical assault (10.8%) and IPV-related injury (4.1%). LGB-specific tactics were experienced by 39.0% of the LGB adults. Depression, anxiety, and frequent gambling were significantly associated with specific types of IPV and LGB-specific tactics. Conclusion: IPV was prevalent in the LGB population. Findings on correlates provided insights for future development of IPV detection and intervention.