Abstract: Researchers based on the framework of self-determination theory have recently proposed that both need satisfaction and need thwarting exist in individuals, that lack of psychological need satisfaction does not mean the same as need being thwarted and that need being thwarted can better predict the decline of performance and unhealthy psychology. Our study introduces a human-centered approach and latent profile analysis method to help understand the combination impact of psychological needs satisfaction and psychological need being thwarted. The results show that there are three types of employees in the workplace of Chinese enterprises, namely, those whose needs are highly satisfied, highly thwarted and both highly satisfied and highly thwarted respectively. Among them, those whose needs are highly satisfied maintain a high level of both creative performance and mental health, those whose needs are highly thwarted stay at a low level of both creative performance and mental health and those whose needs are both highly satisfied and highly thwarted have a high-level creative performance but a low-level mental health. Finally, some unexpected findings are discussed, and the significance, limitations and future research directions of this research are expounded.

Key words: basic psychological needs satisfaction, basic psychological needs thwarted, latent profile analysis, creative performance, mental health