Elder mistreatment and physical health among older adults: the South Carolina Elder Mistreatment Study.

Exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs), including interpersonal violence, is associated with poorer physical health in young adults. This relation has not been well-investigated among older adults in specific populations. The present study was designed to investigate whether exposure to PTEs and elder mistreatment are associated with physical health status among older adults residing in South Carolina. Older adults aged 60 and above (N = 902) participated in a structured interview assessing elder mistreatment history, PTEs, demographics, and social dependency variables. Results demonstrated that PTEs were associated with poor self-rated health independently and when controlling for other significant predictors. A recent history of emotional mistreatment was associated with poor self-rated health independently, but not when controlling for other significant predictors.