Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Examining American Adult’S Mental Well And Ill-Being During The 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic Using A Self-Determination Theory Perspective, Lauren N. Jordan, C. Veronica Smith

Faculty and Student Publications

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic is an international health crisis that has caused unprecedented shifts in people’s environments and has threatened people’s wellbeing. The current study uses self-determination theory (SDT: 10) to understand how people were handling the pandemic, which proposes three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) are vital for human growth and thriving. Furthermore, we examined how people’s wellbeing and ill-being changed over the course of the pandemic. Methods: A sample of 193 American adults from around the country reported on their need satisfaction and frustration as well as well and ill-being at three time periods during the …