The action crisis is a critical phase in goal striving during which the goal pursuer feels conflicted about persevering with the goal or initiating disengagement. Recent research suggests that goal motivation, specifically controlled motivation (i.e., pursuing a goal out of obligation and pressure), increases the likelihood of experiencing action crises. In turn, action crises in goal pursuit have been linked to increases in depression symptoms and cortisol. In the present 8-month longitudinal study, we tracked university students’ personal goals to examine whether the pursuit of controlled goals and the experience of action crises was associated with increasing levels of hair cortisol, perceived stress, poor health, and depression symptoms (N = 156). Structural equation modeling suggested that experiencing action crises in goal pursuit was associated with increases in markers of stress, depression, and ill-being. This effect was partially explained by controlled goal motivation. The clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

行动危机是目标奋斗的关键阶段，在此期间目标追求者对坚持目标或开始脱离感到矛盾。最近的研究表明，目标动机，特别是受控动机（即出于义务和压力而追求目标），会增加经历行动危机的可能性。反过来，追求目标的行动危机与抑郁症状和皮质醇的增加有关。在目前为期 8 个月的纵向研究中，我们追踪了大学生的个人目标，以检查追求受控目标和行动危机的经历是否与头发皮质醇水平升高、感知压力、健康状况不佳和抑郁症状有关（N= 156）。结构方程模型表明，在追求目标的过程中经历行动危机与压力、抑郁和不适感的增加有关。这种效果部分是由受控目标动机解释的。讨论了这些发现的临床和理论意义。