Psychological need satisfaction and academic well-being in higher education: the mediating role of academic encouragement

Psychological need satisfaction and academic well-being have been extensively examined in higher education; however, the role of academic encouragement in linking these constructs remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to investigate the relationships among psychological need satisfaction, academic well-being, and academic encouragement, and to examine the mediating role of academic encouragement in this association. A quantitative, correlational research design was employed. Data were collected from 824 undergraduate students enrolled in a pharmacy programme using validated measures of psychological need satisfaction, academic encouragement, academic self-efficacy, and academic satisfaction. The results revealed that psychological need satisfaction was positively associated with both academic well-being and academic encouragement. Furthermore, mediation analyses demonstrated that academic encouragement partially mediated the relationship between psychological need satisfaction and academic well-being. These findings underscore the importance of fostering academically encouraging environments, alongside supporting students’ psychological needs, to enhance student well-being in higher education contexts.