Gendered Experiences Of Emotional Abuse And Well-Being Among The Elderly In Urban Delhi

Abstract

The paper explores the gendered nature of emotional abuse and its psychological impact among the elderly in urban Delhi. India's elderly population is growing, particularly in urban regions, and emotional abuse is an intangible but prevalent form of abuse that takes a larger hit among elderly women. The study adopts a gender-sensitive approach in examining the prevalence, patterns, and the psychosocial cost of emotional abuse, including critical socio-demographic antecedents like education, financial dependency, and living arrangements. The study randomly sampled 300 community-resident elderly individuals (150 males and 150 women) through the process of multistage stratified random sampling. Standard scales of EASI for emotional abuse, GDS-15 for depression, and GAI for anxiety were employed, and statistical tests involving SPSS 25.0 were used. The findings reveal that emotional abuse is significantly associated with high levels of depression and anxiety, women suffering more in terms of financial dependency and social isolation. Interestingly, some males also recorded high levels of emotional abuse, signifying the subtleties of gendered experiences. The regression process showed that low education, financial dependency, and living singly seemed to emerge as better predictor variables, most strongly for abused women. In summary, the study emphasizes gender-sensitive reactions, heightened awareness, and united social support and mental health support for the elderly. The study provides informational content for policy planners, health care professionals, and social workers in the struggle against elder abuse in India's rapid urbanization.