Basic Psychological Needs and Mental Health Among Students with Disabilities in Malaysian Public Universities:
A Conceptual Framework on the Moderating Role of Perceived Stigma at Universiti Teknologi MARA
Keywords:
basic needs, self-determination theory,, mental health, perceived stigma, Students With Disabilities (SWD)Abstract
Mental health is a vital component of well-being, yet Students with Disabilities (SWD) in UiTM Malaysia face heightened vulnerability to distress and social isolation. This conceptual paper utilizes Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to explore how satisfying the basic psychological needs (competence, relatedness, autonomy) can enhance mental health outcomes for SWD. Moreover, a primary focus is the moderating role of perceived stigma, which can diminish the positive impact of meeting the Basic psychological needs. Further, this paper proposes a quantitative correlational research design using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to validate these relationships. Ultimately, the proposed framework aims to investigate the importance of the relationship between basic psychological needs and mental health among SWD with the moderation of perceived stigma, as well as developing evidence-based policies and inclusive education practices in line with SDG 4 in order to ensure SWD gets the necessary support to flourish in the education environment.
Note: In this paper, mental health is examined through the lens of psychological distress and depressive symptoms (as assessed by PHQ-9), where higher scores indicate greater distress/poorer mental health.
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