RESEARCH PAPER
From crisis to well-being: the role of goal adjustment strategies in the face of health threats. A longitudinal perspective
1
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Košice, Slovakia
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Submission date: 2025-12-04
Final revision date: 2026-02-27
Acceptance date: 2026-03-17
Online publication date: 2026-03-30
Corresponding author
Monika Hricová
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Košice, Moyzesova 9, 040 59 Košice, Slovakia
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Košice, Moyzesova 9, 040 59 Košice, Slovakia
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Background:
Research has shown that goal adjustment strategies (disengaging from unattainable goals and re-engaging them) are related to lower stress, fewer depressive symptoms and greater well-being. However, most studies have looked at young, healthy individuals. The aim of this study was to examine the moderation role of goal adjustment strategies longitudinally in overcoming action crises in achieving goals in the context of health threats.
Material and methods:
In a longitudinal design, 633 people completed a questionnaire regarding health-impacted goals based on the Action Crisis Scale, Goal Adjustment Scale and Index WHO-5. The respondents had to suffer from a chronic illness or have a health status which had significantly deteriorated in the last 4 months.
Results:
Health-related goal obstacles cumulating in action crisis can negatively impact the long-term well-being of a person. However, this relationship does not appear to be moderated by goal disengagement or re-engagement strategies in the context or timeframe examined in this study.
Conclusions:
The results are unusual in light of previous research related to the topic. The current results emphasize the psychological cost of goal-related conflict while also highlighting the limits of the buffering role in goal adjustment strategies. This challenges assumptions in prominent motivational theories.
Research has shown that goal adjustment strategies (disengaging from unattainable goals and re-engaging them) are related to lower stress, fewer depressive symptoms and greater well-being. However, most studies have looked at young, healthy individuals. The aim of this study was to examine the moderation role of goal adjustment strategies longitudinally in overcoming action crises in achieving goals in the context of health threats.
Material and methods:
In a longitudinal design, 633 people completed a questionnaire regarding health-impacted goals based on the Action Crisis Scale, Goal Adjustment Scale and Index WHO-5. The respondents had to suffer from a chronic illness or have a health status which had significantly deteriorated in the last 4 months.
Results:
Health-related goal obstacles cumulating in action crisis can negatively impact the long-term well-being of a person. However, this relationship does not appear to be moderated by goal disengagement or re-engagement strategies in the context or timeframe examined in this study.
Conclusions:
The results are unusual in light of previous research related to the topic. The current results emphasize the psychological cost of goal-related conflict while also highlighting the limits of the buffering role in goal adjustment strategies. This challenges assumptions in prominent motivational theories.
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