Depression as a Consequence of Elder Mistreatment: A Case Report

A 61-year-old elderly woman came to the emergency room in tertiary hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia due to epigastric pain for the past 7 months which was worsened in the past 4 days. Due to her illness, her daughters prevent her to do daily chores and her hobbies, such as singing and gardening. On admission, she had hypertension with moderate dependency, frail, cognitive impairment, malnutrition, risk of sarcopenia, and risk of depression. She was later diagnosed with poorly differentiated colon adenocarcinoma and adjustment disorders with anxiety and depressive reaction due to emotional elder mistreatment. There are a variety of forms of elder abuse, not only physical, but also emotional, sexual, financial, and neglect. The prevalence of elder mistreatment is projected between 5% and 10% all over the world and it is thought to be underdiagnosed. Among the consequences of mistreatment or abuse include social alongside, economic, physical, and mental (e.g., isolation, constrained relationships, and broken social networks). This is a case report of depression because of elder mistreatment.