Financial Exploitation and Psychological Distress: The Interacting Effect of Health Behaviors and Income

Financial exploitation (FE) of older adults is associated with adverse mental health outcomes. However, little is known about factors that buffer or exacerbate these effects. This study examined whether income level and health behaviors moderate the relationship between FE and psychological distress in later life. Community-dwelling adults aged 50 and older (N = 277) completed measures of psychological distress, health behaviors, income, and perceived FE. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted, controlling for background characteristics and number of medical conditions. FE, lower income, and worse health behaviors were each linked to increased distress. A significant three-way interaction was found: among participants with low health behavior engagement, the relationship between FE and distress was strongest in lower-income individuals. Conversely, among participants with high health behavior engagement, the relationship was strongest in higher-income individuals. These findings suggest that both income and adaptive health behaviors may not uniformly protect against the emotional toll of FE.