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Description

Elder abuse is a critical public health issue affecting older adults globally, with significant physical, psychological, and social consequences. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced widespread disruptions- including social isolation, economic instability, and reduced access to healthcare and support services- that may have intensified vulnerability to abuse. However, evidence examining how patterns of elder abuse evolved across different phases of the pandemic remains fragmented. This scoping review aimed to systematically map the extent, range, and nature of existing literature on elder abuse across pre-pandemic, during-pandemic, and post-pandemic periods, with a focus on prevalence, risk and protective factors, and reporting patterns. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Embase for peer-reviewed studies published in English through December 2025. Eligible studies included quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research involving adults aged 60 years and older and reporting on any form of elder abuse within a COVID-19 context. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data on study characteristics, abuse types, prevalence, risk and protective factors, reporting mechanisms, and pandemic phase. Findings were synthesized descriptively and thematically. The included studies demonstrated an overall increase in reported elder abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in emotional, physical, and multi-type abuse. Key risk factors included social isolation, caregiver burden, financial strain, and reduced access to healthcare and social services. Reporting patterns varied, with some studies indicating increased hotline utilization, while others suggested underreporting due to limited in-person contact. Evidence from post-pandemic periods remains limited.

Publisher Location

Las Vegas (Nev.)

Publication Date

Spring 4-17-2026

Publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Keywords

elderly abuse; pandemic; shadow pandemic; abuse; scoping review

Disciplines

Criminology and Criminal Justice | Legal Studies | Sociology

File Format

PDF

File Size

1280 KB

Comments

Mentor: Kavita Batra

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

The Quiet Crisis of Elder Abuse: Evidence and Implications


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