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Renfrewshire Community Plan 2008 - 2017 Adult protection: Psychological abuse
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Psychological abuse is one of the most common types of abuse reported by elderly people. It usually involves a person making threats about someone or something that matters to the older person.
The most common examples are threats to stop the older person seeing their grandchildren or threats to stop visiting the older person if they live in a residential home.
It is rare for someone to suffer psychological abuse on its own. It is often linked to financial abuse.
The most common examples are threats to stop the older person seeing their grandchildren or threats to stop visiting the older person if they live in a residential home.
It is rare for someone to suffer psychological abuse on its own. It is often linked to financial abuse.
Blackmail, coercion or intimidation are forms of psychological abuse and these are usually crimes.
Psychological abuse can also include name calling and harassment that stops short of physical assault. Name calling and 'low level' bullying can go on for a long time and can be very damaging. If the bullying isn't stopped early on, it can get worse and develop into more serious attacks.
Psychological abuse can have a serious impact on a person's mental health. They can feel trapped, threatened, humiliated, used or a combination of all of these. Most signs relate to someone's mental state and changes in behaviour.
The signs to look out for are:
- Hesitation to talk openly
- Implausible stories
- Confusion or disorientation
- Anger without any apparent cause
- Sudden change in behaviour
- Being upset or agitated
- Unusual behaviour (sucking, biting, or rocking)
- Unexplained fear
- Denial of a situation
- Being withdrawn and not communicating or responding
- A person telling you they are being verbally or emotionally abused
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