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

Abstract

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 (M age = 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.