The COVID-19 global pandemic caused the cancellation of all sports and disrupted the lives, workout regimens, academic assistance, team social support systems, athletic identity, and mental health of athletes. International student-athletes (ISAs) were a particular population affected and understudied. This study explored the psychological distress level experienced by ISAs during the early stage of the pandemic and examined the effects of self-compassion, resilience, and social support on their distress. Data were collected in April and May 2020 from a larger parent study which included 514 ISAs from all three NCAA Divisions, 74 countries, and 22 different sports. Results suggested ISAs were experiencing similar levels of distress as domestic student-athletes, non-athletes, and other international populations but there was a significant gender difference where ISA women reported significantly higher psychological distress than ISA men. Findings also indicated that self-compassion, resilience, and social support negatively predict psychological distress of ISAs. Although resilience and social support did not moderate the relation between self-compassion and psychological distress when examined separately, a significant interaction effect between resilience and self-compassion on psychological distress (p = .0497) was found when exploring the double moderator model. Specifically, ISAs high in resilience and low in self-compassion were the most distressed. Counseling and preventive interventions to enhance self-compassion, resilience, and social support of ISAs are discussed. Limitations, DEI implications, and future research directions of this study are outlined.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc2356139 |
| Date | 07 1900 |
| Creators | Lue, Cachet Evelyn |
| Contributors | Wang, Chiachih DC, Petrie, Trent A., Blumenthal, Heidemarie |
| Publisher | University of North Texas |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | Text |
| Rights | Public, Lue, Cachet Evelyn, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights Reserved. |
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