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1. Identifying common perceived stressors and stress-relief strategies among undergraduate engineering students

   Ban, N.; Shannon, H.; Wright, C.J.; Miller, M.E.; Hargis, L.E.; Usher, E.L.; Hammer, J.H.; Wilson, S.A. (January 2022, ASEE annual conference exposition)

   Mental health concerns have become a growing problem among collegiate engineering students. To date, there has been little research to understand the factors that influence student mental health within this population. Literature on engineering student mental health supports the idea that engineering students experience high levels of mental health distress, which often stems from stressors such as academic workload, maintaining a strong grade point average (GPA), and pressure from parents and/or professors. Of particular concern, distressed engineering students are less likely to seek professional help when compared to students in other majors. As a result, a comprehensive study was conducted on engineering mental health help-seeking behavior. Through secondary analysis of the data from that study, this work aims to identify common perceived stressors that may contribute to mental health distress, as well as perceived coping strategies that may be used instead of seeking professional mental health help. A diverse group of 33 engineering undergraduate students were a part of the comprehensive study on engineering mental health help-seeking behavior. For this study, qualitative data was analyzed to address two specific research questions: 1) What are the main sources of stress that engineers have experienced in their engineering training? and 2) What coping strategies have students developed as an alternative to seeking professional help? Several common perceived stressors were identified including an unsupportive and challenging engineering training environment, challenges in time management, and academic performance expectations. Perceived coping strategies identified include relationships with family, friends, and classmates and health and wellness activities such as exercise, mindfulness, and maintaining spiritual health. The results of this work will be helpful in recognizing ways to improve engineering education and increase student support. 

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2. A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY ON THE PREVALENCE OF IMPOSTOR PHENOMENON IN ENGINEERING STUDENTS

   Manoharan, Sanjivan; Choudhuri, Shabbir; Oye-Bamgbose, Olawale; Plotkowski, Paul. (March 2023, International Academy of Technology, Education and Development)

   percentage of the population in this age group attend institutes of higher education during these critical years. Hence, colleges are well positioned to provide the appropriate support structures to create a positive effect on mental health. Undiagnosed mental health issues may have long-term detrimental effects on academic, professional, and social life. This paper investigates the prevalence of one such psychological condition, Impostor Phenomenon (IP), that can have a negative impact on the overall mental wellbeing of engineering students. IP is widely experienced by people from various backgrounds and socioeconomic status. While having high levels of IP does not necessarily translate to poor work performance, it can result in anxiety, depression, and dissatisfaction with life. Even though IP prevalence has been measured in various majors via the use of surveys, the data within engineering is sparse, despite it being one of the most competitive and stressful fields. For the current study, engineering students from freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior academic levels were surveyed using the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Survey; such a wide cross-sectional study in engineering is rate in the United States. A total of 184 students completed the anonymous survey voluntarily. Results indicate that our engineering students suffer from borderline moderate to frequent IP feelings (59.8 < IP < 67.4). The data was further analyzed by academic standing and gender. There was no significant increase or decrease in IP levels across the various academic standings except for seniors. Senior students demonstrated higher IP levels than juniors. Overall, female engineering students showed a higher level of IP prevalence compared to their male counterparts. The trifactor analysis indicated that fake in comparison to the other factors (discount and luck) is the most prevalent among the students irrespective of their class standing. 

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3. Investigating Perceptions that Predict Mental Health Related Help-Seeking in First-Year Engineering Students

   Wilson, Sarah A; Huth, Ava; Lamer, Sara; Hammer, Joseph H; Whitwer, Matthew (August 2024, American Society for Engineering Education)

   National data indicates that engineering students are less likely than students in other academic disciplines to seek professional help for their mental health distress. Without professional intervention, mental health symptoms can worsen and become more challenging to treat. Therefore, this study uses a quantitative approach to investigate the beliefs that first-year engineering students hold about seeking mental health treatment and the influence of these beliefs on their intention to seek professional help. This study addresses the following research questions: 1) Which factors are most strongly associated with first-year engineering students’ intention to seek mental health treatment? 2) What beliefs about the outcomes of professional mental healthcare are most predictive of students’ intention to seek treatment? This study used a self-report survey instrument that employed the Integrated Behavioral Model (IBM) as an empirically supported theoretical framework to identify the beliefs that most accurately predict behavior. In December 2021, a survey was conducted in the first-year engineering program at a large public university with a predominantly White population (n = 452). The self-report survey instrument included measures of mental health help-seeking intention, attitude, perceived norm, personal agency, and outcome beliefs guided by the IBM. Respondents exhibited high scores on scales measuring their attitude towards seeking help, perceived control, and self-efficacy. This suggests that, on average, first-year engineering students had positive perceptions of their seeking help, felt in control of their decisions to seek help, and were confident in their ability to seek help. Students had lower scores for perceived norms, meaning they were less likely to believe that seeking help was supported by those who are important to them. Additionally, less than half of the students indicated they would intend to seek help if they experienced mental health distress. Students’ perception that others would expect them to seek help (i.e., their perceived norm injunctive) was the strongest predictor of intention to seek help, followed by their attitude toward seeking help. The specific outcome beliefs that were negatively correlated with intention to seek help were that seeking help would: 1) go against the expectations of the engineering community, 2) be a sign of weakness or an admission of defeat, and 3) result in poor treatment or discrimination from the mental health professional. Conversely, the outcome beliefs most positively correlated with intention were that seeking help would: 1) help me feel supported, 2) help me improve my coping skills, 3) make me feel better, 4) help me find a solution to my problem, and 5) help me gain a better understanding of my mental health concern. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into the beliefs of first-year engineering students towards seeking professional treatment for mental health concerns. These findings will inform the development of targeted interventions to improve help-seeking for mental health. 

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4. Association of Religiosity and Help-Seeking among International Students in Undergraduate Engineering Education

   Kamal, SA; Syeda, FA; Sanchez-Pena, M (June 2024, American Society for Engineering Education)

   Background: The increasing prevalence of mental health issues among college students, particularly international engineering students, has become a growing concern. While previous studies have explored factors contributing to mental health issues among college students, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding international undergraduates in engineering. International students, with their different beliefs, values, and expectations related to mental health, may have different coping strategies, help-seeking preferences, and service utilization patterns. Among various factors, religiosity may influence their approach to coping, seeking assistance, and utilizing services. With this in mind, this study investigates the impact of religiosity on the mental health, help-seeking behavior, and service utilization of international undergraduate engineering students in the United States. Purpose/Hypothesis: This study explores the relationship between religiosity and service utilization among college students, with a particular focus on international undergraduate engineering students in the US. It seeks to answer several research questions: 1) What is the prevalence of mental health conditions and help-seeking among international engineering undergraduates? 2) Are there gender differences in help-seeking among international engineering undergraduates? 3) How do help-seeking (formal and informal) tendencies vary among engineering undergraduates with different levels of religiosity? Design/Method: The study uses a logistic regression model to analyze data from engineering undergraduate students participating in the Healthy Minds Study (HMS) for 2021-2022 to address research questions. The study considers help-seeking and service utilization as dependent variables and examines how they relate to religiosity while controlling for certain demographic characteristics. Findings: We found that only 15.61 % of the international students in our sample were diagnosed with a mental health condition. Of them, women were twice as likely to screen positive for mental health concerns than their counterparts. Logistic regression models found that students with high religiosity are less likely to seek formal and informal help. Controlling for gender reveals that women with high religiosity are more likely to utilize informal and professional mental health services compared to men. Conclusions/Implications: The findings of this study suggest potential avenues for supporting international students' mental health. One key implication is the exploration of incorporating spiritual and religious practices, as this approach may provide valuable support to international students who may draw strength from their religious beliefs. Moreover, there is potential for collaboration between higher education institutions and local religious organizations to enhance the support and resources available to international students. 

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5. Relationship Between Goal Orientation, Agency, and Motivation in Undergraduate Civil Engineering Students

   O'Hara, R.; Benson, L.; Ogle, J.; Bolding, C.J. (July 2021, 2021 ASEE Annual Conference)

   Understanding the underlying psychological constructs that affect undergraduate engineering students’ academic achievement and persistence can inform curricular and programmatic changes in engineering education, with the goal of increasing access and advancement in engineering for a diverse population of students. As part of a larger study examining student experiences in a civil engineering department undergoing curricular and cultural changes, this quantitative study investigated the relationship between goal orientation, agency, and time-oriented motivation, differences in this relationship across academic years, and potential influences from personality types. The larger project seeks to examine the motivation, identity, and sense of belonging for undergraduate civil engineering students; this paper seeks to construct a conceptual model explaining the interactive nature of some of these constructs. A previously tested and established survey that draws from multiple theories of motivation and other affective factors such as agency and identity, and that includes Big 5 personality constructs, was used to collect data from second, third-and fourth-year civil engineering students over a two-year period. Prior studies have focused on the instrument’s latent constructs with sense of belonging. However, no analysis has been conducted to examine how some of the constructs influence each other. Specific latent constructs of goal orientation, agency (students’ beliefs that their career in science or engineering can lead to positive effects on the world), FTP, and personality were selected for secondary data analysis based on theory presented in the literature about relationships between motivation, goal setting, agency, and student perceptions of their future. The sample size of respondents was 843; data cleaning and deletion of missing data (65cases; 7.7%) resulted in a final sample size of 778(92.3% of the original data). This included328 second year, 294 third year and 156 fourth year students. Statistical analyses and modeling included bivariate correlational analysis, MANOVA and MANCOVA. Results indicated significant correlation between goal orientation, agency, and time-oriented motivation. Furthermore, differences in these constructs between academic years and personality type influenced the relationship. FTP differed between sophomores and seniors, with seniors having higher scores, suggesting motivation increases as time in the program increases. Personality significantly influenced these relationships in different ways but had the strongest effect on agency. The findings that certain types of people are not only motivated to go into civil engineering but believe their major will make a difference in the world, have implications for educational practice. Results align with current literature but also shed light onto the effects of personality on time-oriented motivation and agency, expanding theory in engineering education. Further research is needed to determine if the effects of personality hold true for other engineering and science majors. 

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