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The Chinese population is aging rapidly while both the pension system is underdeveloped and the traditional family care arrangement is in retreat. This article's objective is to assess the relationship between concerns over retirement saving sufficiency and the mental health status of middle-aged and older Chinese adults, and identify the socioeconomic and demographic profile of those with insufficient retirement savings. A survey from about 2000 respondents collected information on self-assessed physical and mental health status based on the EQ-5D-5L framework, self-assessed longevity, retirement plans and financial preparedness and socioeconomic status. Multivariate ordered logistic regressions are used to identify the relationship between mental health status, financial preparedness for retirement and self-assessed longevity, as well as socioeconomic factors associated with mental health status and financial preparedness for retirement respectively. It is found that 59% of the respondents thought that they have not saved, or will not be able to save enough for their retirement. For these people, the odds of having less anxiety or depression are 0.36 (95% CIs: 0.16–0.43) times lower than those who are financially prepared. Having more external sources of financial assistance including family and governments, did not help ease mental distress. Rural people are half as likely to be financially prepared for retirement, regardless of whether they remain in rural areas or migrate to cities. Health promotion strategies should consider the role for financial planning in improving mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Summary: Internationally accepted social work values are based on ideas about rights, social justice and equitable resource distribution. Does social work education in China embody similar values? Are these values influenced by culture and the current political/economic environment? The research posed three questions. Do social work students studying in metropolitan China support humanitarian welfare values? Are values affected by demographic backgrounds? Does social work education enhance humanitarian values? A self-administered, standardized questionnaire was distributed in 26 classes of social work students studying in seven universities in Beijing and Shanghai (n = 1328).• Findings: Students do not support humanitarian welfare values strongly; and a decrease in these values was observed in senior students. Significant differences in values were found based on gender and on rural/urban origins. Female students were more likely to agree with humanitarian value statements; rural and urban students tended to agree more with values from which they had potential to benefit.• Applications: Social work knowledge and skills rather than values maybe more immediately relevant to Chinese society. However, independent professional practitioners need a solid foundation of professional values to inform practice and standardize the social work role. There needs to be an ongoing debate in China involving social work educators and practitioners about values and their relation to Chinese society, the ways in which they are influenced by non-Chinese cultures; and how to infuse these consistently into social work curricula in Chinese universities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]