The Impact of Age Identity and Value Engagement on the Mental Health of Older Adults

Background The rapid aging of China’s population has heightened concerns about older adults’ mental health, with age identity and value engagement emerging as key but understudied factors influencing psychological well-being. Objective This study investigates the associations among age identity, value engagement, and mental health in older adults in China. Methods Data were drawn from 6,081 respondents in the 2020 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey. Age identity was defined as the difference between perceived and chronological age, while value engagement encompassed both social and family components. Baseline regression and bootstrap mediation analyses were applied. Results Identifying with a younger age was associated with better mental health, and this relationship was partially mediated by value engagement. Older adults who perceive themselves as younger were more likely to engage meaningfully in life, which enhanced psychological well-being, although a large gap between perceived and chronological age was also linked to psychological strain. Subgroup analyses further demonstrated that the positive association between age identity and mental health held across marital status, gender, and hukou status (a household registration system reflecting socioeconomic environment in China). The mediating role of value engagement was especially pronounced among women, individuals with agricultural hukou, and those without a spouse, implying that strengthening value-based social and familial roles may be especially beneficial for these groups. Conclusion These findings offer insights for developing targeted mental health strategies that account for subjective aging perceptions and social engagement disparities in China’s aging population.