Luzny Jan, Jurickova Lubica
Mental Hospital Kromeriz, Kromeriz, Czech Republic ; Dept. of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Iran J Public Health. 2012;41(8):27-32. Epub 2012 Aug 31.
Elder abuse and neglect (EAN) comprises emotional, financial, physical, and sexual abuse, neglect by other individuals, and self-neglect. Elder abuse and neglect in seniors with psychiatric morbidity was not monitored in the Czech Republic at all, despite the literature shows mental morbidity as one of the important risk factor for developing elder abuse and neglect.
We designed comparative cross sectional study comprising 305 seniors hospitalized in Mental Hospital Kromeriz in June 2011 - group of 202 seniors hospitalized due to mental disorder in psychogeriatric ward and group of 103 seniors hospitalized due to somatic disorder in internal ward. Content analysis of medical records was done in both groups of seniors, with regards to symptoms of elder abuse. Then, we discussed the topic of elder abuse with 30 nurses of psychogeriatric ward in focus group interview.
Between two compared groups of seniors we detected statistically higher prevalence of elder abuse in seniors with psychiatric morbidity (48 cases, 23.8% prevalence of EAN), compared to somatically ill seniors (3 cases, 2.9%). As for nursing staff, 5 from 30 nurses (16.7%) have never heard about symptoms of elder abuse and neglect, 10 from 30 nurses (33.3%) had just a partial knowledge about elder abuse and neglect and its symptoms, the rest of nurses (15 from 30 nurses, 50.0%) had good knowledge about elder abuse and neglect and its symptoms.
Elder abuse and neglect seems to be a relevant problem in senior population with mental disorders. Development of educational programs for nursing and medical staff about Elder abuse and neglect (symptoms of EAN, early detection of EAN, knowledge how to report cases of EAN) could improve the situation and help mentally ill seniors to better quality of life.
老年人虐待与忽视（EAN）包括情感虐待、经济虐待、身体虐待和性虐待、他人的忽视以及自我忽视。尽管文献表明精神疾病是发生老年人虐待与忽视的重要风险因素之一，但捷克共和国完全没有对患有精神疾病的老年人中的虐待与忽视情况进行监测。
我们设计了一项比较性横断面研究，纳入了2011年6月在克罗梅日什精神病院住院的305名老年人——一组是在老年精神科病房因精神障碍住院的202名老年人，另一组是在内科病房因躯体疾病住院的103名老年人。对两组老年人的病历进行了内容分析，以了解老年人虐待的症状。然后，我们在焦点小组访谈中与老年精神科病房的30名护士讨论了老年人虐待的话题。
在两组被比较的老年人中，我们发现患有精神疾病的老年人中老年人虐待的患病率在统计学上更高（48例，EAN患病率为23.8%），相比之下，躯体疾病患者中的患病率为3例（2.9%）。至于护理人员，30名护士中有5名（16.7%）从未听说过老年人虐待与忽视的症状，30名护士中有10名（33.3%）对老年人虐待与忽视及其症状只有部分了解，其余护士（30名护士中有15名，50.0%）对老年人虐待与忽视及其症状有充分了解。
老年人虐待与忽视似乎是患有精神障碍的老年人群体中的一个相关问题。为护理和医务人员开展关于老年人虐待与忽视（EAN的症状、EAN的早期发现、报告EAN病例的知识）的教育项目可能会改善这种情况，并帮助患有精神疾病的老年人提高生活质量。
