Factors Associated with Help-seeking Behavior among U.S. Chinese Older Adults who Experienced Elder Mistreatment

Elder mistreatment (EM) is an important public health issue. Guided by the Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, this study aimed to examine factors that impede or facilitate help-seeking behaviors among U.S. Chinese older adults who reported EM. Data were from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE). Different types of mistreatments and help-seeking behaviors were assessed. Descriptive statistics and multinominal logistic regression were used to examine the factors associated with help-seeking. Among 450 participants who reported EM, 46.55% experienced psychological mistreatment, 29.91% had financial exploitation, 14.92% had caregiver neglect, 4.68% had physical mistreatment, and 1.11% had sexual mistreatment. Compared to those who did not seek help, EM victims who were female, married, perceived more social support, experienced financial exploitation, and experienced caregiver neglect were more likely to seek help from informal resources. EM victims who had higher income and perceived more social support were more likely to seek formal resources. EM victims who were female, experienced financial exploitation, and experienced caregiver neglect were more likely to seek help from both resources. Our findings reported the predisposing factors, enabling resources, and need factors that impacted seeking help from informal or/and formal resources among mistreated older Chinese Americans. Immigrants may be exceptionally socially isolated, and culturally specific barriers may substantially impact their motivations to seek help. Our findings suggested that greater attention to the provision of informal and formal social support can increase the effectiveness of prevention and intervention strategies in this vulnerable population.