Yang, F., Shen, X., Zhang, X. and Liu, J. (2026). Psychological flexibility as a mediator between social participation and retirement adaptation: an ACT intervention study from the perspective of active aging. Frontiers in Public Health, 14. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1859171
Introduction: This study aims to examine the effectiveness and mechanisms of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in promoting retirement adaptation among older adults, and to analyze the mediating role of psychological flexibility within the framework of positive aging and successful aging theory.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 145 participants was conducted to establish a mediation model exploring psychological flexibility between social participation and retirement adaptation. Subsequently, 77 eligible participants were randomly assigned to an ACT intervention group (n = 40) or a control group (n = 37). The intervention consisted of six weekly 40-min sessions. Both groups were assessed on retirement adaptation and psychological flexibility before and after the intervention. Mediation analysis controlled for demographic variables, and effect sizes were reported alongside p-values.
Results: Psychological flexibility partially mediated the association between social participation and retirement adaptation (indirect effect = 0.189, 95% CI [0.098, 0.298]), accounting for 29.73% of the total effect. ACT intervention significantly improved both
retirement adaptation and psychological flexibility (p < 0.001), with more pronounced improvements in the dimensions of retirement satisfaction and work nostalgia.
Discussion: ACT may promote retirement adaptation by enhancing psychological flexibility, providing preliminary evidence for psychological interventions under the active aging framework. Causal inferences from the cross-sectional mediation model require validation in longitudinal designs.