Contributing factors for older workers’ mental health: Perceived team leader equitable treatment and core self-evaluations

Abstract Sustaining a mentally healthy workforce has become a priority as our labor market continues to age. However, few studies have evaluated the factors that contribute to older workers’ mental well-being or the role of older workers’ personal resources in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory. This study investigates the role of perceived team leader equitable treatment and core self-evaluations (CSE) on older workers’ mental health by comparing with other age groups. We analyzed the responses of 271 American workers aged 50 and older using structural equation modeling and compared them with the responses of 284 middle-aged workers (35–49 years old) and 272 younger workers (under 34 years old). Results showed that CSE mediated the relationship between perceived team leader equitable treatment and mental health of all employees. CSE was a protective factor for mental health regardless of age. The findings highlight the importance of building CSE of all employees.