Background Anxiety symptoms have become a public health problem affecting the physical and mental health of older adults. Mental health literacy is a predictor of anxiety symptoms in older adults, and there is limited research on the pathways between the two, so exploring the relationship between mental health literacy and anxiety symptoms in older adults and the mechanisms by which they work is important for improving the mental health of older adults.. Objective To explore the effects of mental health literacy and its dimensions on anxiety symptoms in older adults, to analyze the pathways of insomnia in this context, and to provide ideas for preventing and intervening in anxiety symptoms in older adults. Methods From August 2021 to December 2022, 9 609 older adults aged 60 years and above in a city in Sichuan Province were selected for the study using a multistage stratified sampling method. A self-administered demographic questionnaire, Insomnia Severity Index Scale (ISI), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and National Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire (NMHLQ) were used. Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation between the scores of the scales. Model 4 of SPSS 27.0 plug-in Process 4.1 was used to test the path of insomnia in the mental health literacy of older adults and between its dimensions and anxiety symptoms. Results 1,680 (17.48%) older adults had anxiety symptoms. Older adults' NMHLQ scores and scores of its dimensions (knowledge, awareness, and skills) were negatively correlated with GAD-7 scores and ISI scores (r=-0.054, -0.506, P<0.01), and ISI scores were positively correlated with GAD-7 scores (r=0.666, P<0.01). Insomnia was the pathway between mental health literacy and anxiety symptoms in older adults, with an indirect effect value of -0.210 (95% CI: -0.227~-0.193) and an effect size of 54.97%; insomnia was the pathway between knowledge of mental health literacy and anxiety symptoms in older adults, with an indirect effect value of -0.161 (95% CI: -0.178~-0.144) with an effect size of 52.61%; insomnia as a pathway of action between mental health literacy awareness and anxiety symptoms in older adults, with an indirect effect value of -0.322 (95% CI: -0.342~-0.302) and an effect size was 76.12%; and insomnia as a pathway of action between mental health literacy skills and anxiety symptoms in older adults, with an indirect effect value of -0.173 (95% CI: -0.187~-0.159), with an effect size of 54.06%. Conclusion Mental health literacy and its dimensions in older adults can affect anxiety symptoms not only directly but also indirectly through insomnia. |