A Study on the Structural Equation Model for Posttraumatic Growth among Victims of Elder Abuse

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to This study examines the relationship between factors affecting the Post-Traumatic Growth of the abused elderly through a structural equation model. The purpose of this study was to examine how the self-exposure, Deliberate rumination and social support of abused elderly affects the post-traumatic growth directly or indirectly based on the post-traumatic growth theory of Tedeschi and Calhoun(2004). This study was conducted nation-widely surveying 303 victims aged 65 years or older through National Protection Agencies for Elderly established in 17 metropolitan and provincial cities. As a data analysis method, descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation model were used. For this purpose, SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 22.0 statistical programs were used. The results of this study are as follows. Five of the six hypotheses about the direct effect were accepted, one hypothesis was rejected, and all three of the three hypotheses about the indirect effect were supported. Looking at the adopted direct effect, it was found that post-traumatic growth was high when the social support and Deliberate rumination of the abused elderly were high. And when self-exposure and social support were high, Deliberate rumination was high. In addition, high self-exposure showed high social support. On the other hand, self-exposure did not have a significant direct effect on post-traumatic growth. Looking at the indirect effect, Deliberate rumination was found to mediate the effects between self-exposure and social support and post-traumatic growth. In addition, it was found that social support and Deliberate rumination mediate self-exposure and post-traumatic growth. Based on the results of this study, the need f or improvement of programs and practices, laws and systems that can improve Deliberate rumination, social support, and self-exposure to promote post-traumatic growth of the abused elderly was suggested.