Autonomy, Fear of Missing Out, Social Support, and Psychological Wellbeing Among Malaysian Students

Psychological wellbeing plays an essential role in one’s overall health. Previous studies have suggested that autonomy, fear of missing out, and social support are significant factors related to one’s psychological wellbeing. However, studies on how these factors impact psychological wellbeing in Malaysia are scarce. We survey a cohort of 154 students in Malaysia (56 males, 98 females) aged between 18–24 to investigate how social support from family and friends, fear of missing out, and autonomy impact psychological wellbeing. Participants were recruited virtually and were given questionnaires via an online survey tool, Qualtrics. Results show that students who had higher social support and autonomy had better psychological wellbeing, whereas students who had higher fear of missing out had poorer psychological wellbeing. In the multiple regression analysis, autonomy, fear of missing out and social support were found to significantly predict psychological wellbeing, with fear of missing out emerging as the strongest predictor. All in all, the findings of this study indicate that having good relationships with friends and family, a higher degree of autonomy, and being satisfied with one’s own experiences are important factors for one’s psychological wellbeing.