Journal article
Impact of Self-Stigma and Basic Psychological Needs on Career Engagement Among Transition-Age Individuals With Disabilities
Stigma and health (Washington, D.C.)
06/16/2025
DOI: 10.1037/sah0000653
Abstract
Transition outcomes of individuals with disabilities continue to lag behind those of their nondisabled peers, yet limited research has examined the psychosocial mechanisms underlying career engagement in this population. This study aimed to evaluate a proposed Self-Stigma and Career Engagement Framework linking self-stigma, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, intrinsic work motivation, and career engagement among transition-age individuals with disabilities. Using a cross-sectional design and self-report survey, data from 201 participants were included and analyzed through structural equation modeling. The proposed model demonstrated a good model fit and highlighted several key relationships. Self-stigma had a direct negative effect on satisfaction of basic psychological needs. Competence had an indirect effect in the relationship between self-stigma and intrinsic work motivation. Intrinsic work motivation, influenced by both self-stigma and satisfaction of basic psychological needs, was positively associated with career engagement. These findings underscore the importance of addressing self-stigma and supporting the fulfillment of basic psychological needs to foster intrinsic work motivation and enhance career engagement. Practitioners should support individuals in gaining accurate knowledge about their disabilities, developing cognitive strategies to challenge self-stigmatizing beliefs, and fulfilling basic psychological needs. Future research should replicate and extend these findings using larger and more diverse samples to strengthen generalizability and inform evidence-based interventions.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Impact of Self-Stigma and Basic Psychological Needs on Career Engagement Among Transition-Age Individuals With Disabilities
- Creators
- Heerak Choi - Northwestern UniversityConnie Sung - University of Michigan
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Stigma and health (Washington, D.C.)
- DOI
- 10.1037/sah0000653
- ISSN
- 2376-6972
- eISSN
- 2376-6964
- Publisher
- Educational Publishing Foundation-American Psychological Assoc
- Number of pages
- 13
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 06/16/2025
- Academic Unit
- Counselor Education and Supervision
- Record Identifier
- 9985219296802771
Metrics
3 Record Views