Studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that individuals with a high Need For Cognitive Closure (NFC) were more prone to mental illness. However, the relationship between NFC and well-being remained largely unexplored. To address this gap, this study investigated the association between NFC and various components of positive mental health during the initial pandemic outbreak. Results showed that the need for order and decisiveness were positively linked to all mental health components, while the need for predictability, ambiguity intolerance, and closemindedness had negative associations. These findings emphasize the importance of differentiating between mental health and mental illness and identifying their distinct predictors.

Image courtesy of interviewee. December 11, 2023