Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms are Associated with Perceived Financial Exploitation in Israeli Older Adults

Objectives: There are no studies that have investigated mental health correlates of financial exploitation (FE) in Israel. Israel has diverse cultural traditions that emphasize strong family ties and social embeddedness, factors which may impact FE correlates. This study aimed to examine mental health correlates of perceived FE in Israel. Methods: Israeli older adults (N = 137; mean age = 67.86, SD = 6.86, 51.5% female) were surveyed for history of FE, demographic measures, and depressive (CES-D) and anxiety symptoms (GAD-7). Results: Twenty-one participants self-reported a FE history (perceived FE group), and 115 denied a history (non-FE group). After controlling for age, sex, and education, the perceived FE group reported significantly more anxiety (F(1, 108) = 7.16, p = .009) and depressive symptoms (F(1, 103) = 13.90, p < .001) than the non-FE group. A greater frequency of perceived FE participants surpassed clinical cutoffs of anxiety and depression. Conclusions: Perceived FE was associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms, and in some cases at clinically significant levels. Future studies aimed at understanding mechanisms of these relationships are needed. Clinical Implications: Findings support the need for clinical evaluations for those who have experienced FE in order to provide mental health services when appropriate.