Carcavilla González, NuriaRedondo, RitaSales, AliciaCheca, IrenePinazo Hernandis, SacramentoPinazo Clapés, CarolinaBonete López, BeatrizSitges Maciá, Esther2026-07-232026-07-232026Carcavilla-González, N., Redondo, R., Sales, A., Checa, I., Pinazo-Hernandis, S., Pinazo-Clapés, C., Bonete-López, B., & Sitges-Maciá, E. (2026). Physical appearance concerns and mental health in later life: Testing the self-directed Ageism Pathway model. Aging & Mental Health, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2026.26562301360-78631364-6915https://hdl.handle.net/11268/17313Aging anxiety and self-directed ageism are increasingly recognised as key psychological processes shaping mental health in later life. However, little is known about how specific components of aging anxiety -particularly concerns related to physical appearance- interact with internalised ageist beliefs. This study tested the Self-Directed Ageism Pathway Model (SDA-PM), proposing that concerns about physical appearance exert their influence on mental health exclusively through self-directed ageism. This study provides empirically validates the SDA-PM and promotes the integration between embodiment-based and cognitive theories of internalised ageism. By identifying self-directed ageism as the main link between ageing-related appearance concerns and poorer mental health, the findings highlight the importance of interventions that address internalised beliefs across clinical, educational and community settings.engAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Psicologíajournal article10.1080/13607863.2026.2656230open accessCiencias médicasPsicologíaGerontologíaGoal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all agesGoal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries