Measurement Invariance of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction Subscale Between Individuals With Psychiatric and Non-psychiatric Disabilities

This study aimed to examine the measurement invariance of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction Subscale (BPNSS) and compare the latent factor means of basic psychological needs between individuals with psychiatric and non-psychiatric disabilities. This cross-sectional study included 97 individuals with psychiatric and 102 individuals with non-psychiatric disabilities. Prior to comparing scores on basic psychological needs across these groups, we evaluated the measure invariance of the BPNSS and confirmed scalar invariance. Individuals with psychiatric disabilities had significantly lower autonomy scores than those with non-psychiatric disabilities. There were no significant mean differences in competence and relatedness between the groups. These findings suggest wide applicability of the BPNSS across individuals with psychiatric and non-psychiatric disabilities. Practitioners should support individuals with psychiatric disabilities to improve their autonomy. Replication with large, diverse samples is crucial to validate the findings and investigate intragroup variances.