Educational participation and mental health among older adults: The chain mediation of digital inclusion and social participation

This study used two-wave longitudinal data from 6,209 older adults in China to examine how participation in older adult education affects mental health, focusing on the mediating roles of digital inclusion and social participation and the moderating role of urban–rural factors. The results show that (1) educational participation significantly improves mental health; (2) digital inclusion and social participation both serve as mediators and their sequential mediating pathway is supported, indicating that education promotes mental health by facilitating technological adaptation and social engagement; (3) urban–rural differences significantly moderate the effect of education on digital inclusion. Among urban older adults, both the digital inclusion mediation and the digital inclusion–social participation chain mediation are significant, whereas rural older adults struggle to enhance digital inclusion through education, limiting mental health improvements through digital and social pathways. Overall, the study demonstrates the vital role of educational participation in healthy aging and provides useful insights for psychological intervention and policy design targeting older adults.Abbreviations: POAE: Participation in older adult education; DI: Digital inclusion; SP: Social participation; MH: Mental health; URF: Urban–rural factors.