90 Combining scoping review and concept analysis methodologies to clarify the meaning of filial coercive control

Abstract

Abstract Background Increasingly the phenomena of non-intimate coercive control has been identified as a significant social problem experienced by older adults. This form of elder abuse occurs in relationships where there is an expectation of trust and shares many attributes with psychological elder abuse. Extensive research studies have examined how coercive control is enacted within intimate relationships. However, our understanding of how adult children employ strategies of coercive control in their relationships with their older parents is severely limited. Methods Scoping review and concept analysis methodologies were combined in a hybrid model to clarify and analyse the concept of filial coercive control. The framework proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR), guided the systematic literature review. Then, using the steps of Rodger’s (1989) evolutionary concept analysis, the antecedents, attributes, and consequences of filial coercive control were described in detail. Results This study has extended the theoretical framework of elder abuse by incorporating filial coercive control as a subtype of abuse experienced by older adults. The subject area is complex and heterogenous, encompassing literature generated in the disciplines of law, social science, psychology, and criminology among others. This research has enabled the construction of a theoretical conceptual boundary around the subject by identifying key concepts, theories, surrogate terms and sources of evidence of filial coercive control. Conclusion As an emergent topic area, the phenomena of coercive control has been subject to inconsistent terminology. The theoretical framework underpinning the literature has not always been explicitly stated leading to confusion about how the phenomena is constructed. Using scoping review and concept analysis methods, it was possible to gain a better understanding about the evolution of the concept of filial coercive control enabling us to propose a tentative operational definition.