THE IMPACT OF 3 GENERATIONS OF VIOLENCE ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF COLOMBIAN OLDER ADULTS: COMPARATIVE MULTI-SITE SURVEY

Gabbay, Mark ORCID: 0000-0002-0126-8485, Zuluaga, Maria Isabel, Saldarriaga-Ruiz, Gabriel, Montoya, Erika and Giebel, Clarissa ORCID: 0000-0002-0746-0566 (2023) THE IMPACT OF 3 GENERATIONS OF VIOLENCE ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF COLOMBIAN OLDER ADULTS: COMPARATIVE MULTI-SITE SURVEY INNOVATION IN AGING, 7 (Supple). p. 1186. ISSN 2399-5300, 2399-5300

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Abstract

Abstract Endemic violence across Colombia for 70 years has displaced generations of the poorest among Colombian society particularly in (semi)rural and peri-urban settings, approximately (10m- 20% total population). In 2022, 12.5% (1.2m) were older adults living with the health and socioeconomic consequences, losses and life-changing disruptions. Our joint Colombian UK-funded project in Turbo explores ways to co-produce and pilot an intervention to help mitigate impacts older-adults’ mental-health and wellbeing. This survey explores their burden of ill-health and adversity. We compared our 2022 older-adults survey in Turbo ( n=611) with 2016 (n=~0.5m) survey findings from three other Colombian regions with different exposures to ‘La Violencia’. Both surveys measured Cognitive status, Functionality, Autonomy, Depression, Anxiety, Alcohol-use, Well-being, Social support, Loneliness, Nutrition and Maltreatment plus demographics and used probability cluster two-stage sampling to enhance representativeness. Mental health is not a concept used by older adults, ‘depression’ (5-28%) and ‘anxiety’ (4-21%) were lower than anticipated. An unexpectedly high proportion in Turbo respondents had at least some cognitive deficit (62%), much higher than elsewhere (1.3-5.1%). Most respondents were living in significant poverty with low educational attainment, low or minimal income, low nutrition, poor housing and social isolation. Reported elder abuse rates ranged from 4-30% across sites. The survey findings confirm high rates of vulnerability among older adults living with the severe consequences of ’La Violencia’ upon mental-health. Our project co-producing and delivering affordable and sustainable interventions, seeks to improve mental health and wellbeing, self-esteem and belonging, within a society that largely neglects older adults.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, 3202 Clinical Sciences, Health Disparities, Aging, Violence Research, Mental Illness, Rural Health, Health Disparities and Racial or Ethnic Minority Health Research, Basic Behavioral and Social Science, Social Determinants of Health, Behavioral and Social Science, Mental Health, Depression, Brain Disorders, 2.3 Psychological, social and economic factors, 3.1 Primary prevention interventions to modify behaviours or promote wellbeing, Generic health relevance, Mental health, 3 Good Health and Well Being
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	31 Jul 2024 09:58
Last Modified:	16 Sep 2026 09:50
DOI:	10.1093/geroni/igad104.3799
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igad104.3799
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3183259
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