An Exploratory Study of Self-Neglect in Adults of All Ages Using Infrequent Home Care as a Proxy Measure

An exploratory study of self-neglect was undertaken using a secondary analysis of The Mid-Life in the United States (MIDUS) study. The current study sought to explore self-neglect in a sample of adults of all ages who were not part of a clinical sample frame, to identify potentially useful information about factors that influence self-neglect to inform future research, including research about treatments for self-neglect, and to quantitatively test hypotheses about childhood experiences and adulthood traits that emerged from the qualitative self-neglect literature. The current study used a self-report proxy measure of self-neglect that was appropriate for adults of all ages - infrequent home care. The current study hypothesized that authoritarian parenting, adverse childhood experiences, social isolation, and perceived constraints may be associated with infrequent home care. Perceived constraints were significantly associated with infrequent home care. This may suggest that perceived constraints may be associated with self-neglect and warrant further research. The selected proxy measure, infrequent home care, was a limitation related to the secondary nature of the current study. Further research is required to develop measures of self-neglect that are appropriate outside of the Adult Protective Services setting, as well as measures for low to moderate self-neglect.