Date of Award
Spring 2026
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
College of Social Work
First Advisor
Benjamin Roth
Abstract
This dissertation examines contemporary declines in psychological well-being among older adolescents and emerging adults through the lens of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Across three interrelated papers, it explores how changing social conditions may shape experiences of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, SDT’s basic psychological needs, and how these processes may be especially consequential during adjustment to and navigation of college. The first paper is conceptual in nature and argues that contemporary societal pressures, parenting practices, and technology-related contexts may operate together to undermine basic psychological needs. The second paper is qualitative in nature and uses interviews with undergraduate students to examine how need satisfaction and frustration are experienced during the adjustment to and navigation of college. Findings suggest that adjustment is an ongoing negotiation of autonomy, competence, and relatedness across academic, social, institutional, and broader societal contexts. The third paper builds on the first two by developing and providing initial validation evidence for the College Student Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (CS-BPNSFS), a domain-specific measure designed to capture undergraduate students’ experiences of autonomy, competence, and relatedness satisfaction and frustration within the college environment. Results provide initial support for a 6-factor structure and associations with subjective vitality. Collectively, the dissertation advances SDT by applying it to contemporary mental health concerns among young people, illustrating how need-relevant experiences are embedded within changing developmental contexts, and offering a practical tool for future research and institutional assessment. By integrating conceptual, qualitative, and quantitative work, this dissertation contributes a mechanism-focused account of student well-being with implications for higher education and mental health promotion and intervention.
Rights
© 2026, Shawn Stewart McNally
Recommended Citation
McNally, S. S.(2026). Understanding Contemporary Declines in Psychological Well-Being Among Youth: A Self-Determination Theory Approach. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/8760