Perceptions of mental health and need satisfaction/frustration among rural university students.

OBJECTIVE: Because of COVID-19, higher education changed as institutions went remote and students' mental health was challenged. Rural universities were disproportionately affected because of limited Internet access. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological need satisfaction/frustration and mental health among rural college students during this pandemic. PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred ninety-eight students (Mage = 22.15 ± 2.55) at a rural South-eastern university were recruited. METHODS: Participants completed a survey examining stress, anxiety, need satisfaction/frustration and previous experience with online courses. RESULTS: Anxiety, autonomy and competence frustration were found to predict 60% of the variance of stress. Another regression analysis found stress, autonomy, competence, and relatedness frustration to predict 70% of the anxiety variance. CONCLUSIONS: Students are frustrated due to the lack of control and restrictions affecting their social interaction. Understanding the relationship between need satisfaction/frustration and mental health can aid university administration in developing interventions that address rural students' needs.

Using Critical Incident Technique to Investigate Anxiety in Physical Activity Settings.

Physical activity participation is linked with many benefits including a reduction in anxiety; it is, however, also important to explore aspects of activity that incite anxiety. One way to investigate sources of anxiety in physical activity is to use the critical incident technique (CIT). The purpose of this study was to explore anxiety-inducing events in physical activity settings and to evaluate the impact on future behavior. A total of 122 participants (M = 21.23 ± 1.77 years) completed an online survey asking when a physical activity setting incited anxiety using the CIT. Four common sources of anxiety were evident in the responses: fragile self-beliefs, social interaction and the threat of negative social evaluation, competition, and a lack of knowledge or unfamiliarity with surroundings. Tenets from achievement goal theory can help to explain the incitement of anxiety and can help shape physical activity settings to be more inclusive and welcoming for all.