Religiosity, Patience, and Mental Well-Being among NCAA Athletes in the United States at State, Secular Private, and Faith-Based Colleges and Universities

Patience has been defined as remaining calm in the face of frustration, suffering, or adversity for the sake of something beyond the self. This study examines patience, an understudied virtue in the world of collegiate athletics. Drawing from a sample of 415 student-athletes across the United States, we assess patience as a mediating mechanism between religiosity/spirituality and well-being. Regression results suggest that of the three subscales of patience considered, only greater hardships patience was associated with lower depression, anxiety, and loneliness. We also observed that greater intrinsic religiosity and a secure attachment to God predicted greater patience, yet more frequent religious attendance did not. Our results suggest that the more relational and internally motivated aspects of religiosity, rather than religious behavior, are more connected to cultivating patience for student athletes. We discuss the implications of our results and put forward several directions for future research.