Title | Is Psychological Vulnerability Related to the Experience of Fraud in Older Adults? |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2013 |
Authors | Lichtenberg, PA, Stickney, L, Paulson, D |
Journal | Clinical Gerontologist |
Volume | 36 |
Issue | 2 |
Pagination | 132-146 |
Keywords | Health Conditions and Status, Net Worth and Assets, Other, Public Policy |
Abstract | Financial exploitation, and particularly thefts and scams, are increasing at an alarming rate. In this study we (a) determined the national prevalence of older adults who report having been a victim of fraud, (b) created a population-based model for the prediction of fraud, and (c) examined how fraud is experienced by the most psychologically vulnerable older adults. The older adults studied were 4,400 participants in a Health and Retirement Study substudy, the 2008 Leave Behind Questionnaire. The prevalence of fraud across the previous 5 years was 4.5 . Among measures collected in 2002, age, education, and depression were significant predictors of fraud. Financial satisfaction and social-needs fulfillment were measured in 2008 and were significantly related to fraud above and beyond the 2002 predictors. Using depression and social-needs fulfillment to determine the most psychologically vulnerable older adults, we found that fraud prevalence was three times higher (14 ) among those with the highest depression and the lowest social-needs fulfillment than among the rest of the sample (4.1 ; 2 = 20.49; p .001). Clinical gerontologists and other professionals in the field need to be aware of their psychologically vulnerable clients' heightened exposure to financial fraud. |
Notes | Times Cited: 0 |
DOI | 10.1080/07317115.2012.749323 |
Endnote Keywords | Financial exploitation/Psychological vulnerability/Scams/Depression/Crime/frail Elderly |
Endnote ID | 69162 |
Citation Key | 7864 |