Supporting undergraduate engineering student mental health.

Wilson, S.A.; Jensen, K.J.; Tait, J.E.

Abstract

The culture within engineering education can lead to the normalization of stress, which has the potential to impact student mental health. In particular, there have been reports on the perceived stress of the engineering education environment, perceived difficulty of an engineering degree and an increasing body of quantitative and qualitative evidence highlighting mental health and wellbeing challenges experienced by engineering students. Further, engineering students are resistant to seeking professional help for their mental health, which has been proven reduce the potential for progression to more chronic or severe mental health disorders. Investigating the mental health and wellbeing of engineering students specifically is important due to a global lack of engineers and increased need for engineering graduates. While the reasons for this skills deficit are not clear, calls for education reform to address the problem have been growing for some time. Further, more engineers are leaving the sector internationally due to burnout and this can differentially impact female engineering professionals. Concerns are also being raised about the mental health of engineering professionals in the UK and beyond. The literature on mental health in engineering highlights the importance of shifting the narrative around prioritization of mental health in engineering. Through this workshop, we aim to provide engineering faculty with the tools to normalize discussions around mental health in the classroom and promote a culture of wellness in engineering. Through creating a culture that is supportive of mental health in the engineering classroom, we aim to create an engineering workforce that understands the importance of prioritization of mental health as they progress through their careers.

Citation

WILSON, S., JENSEN, K. and TAIT, J.-A. 2023. Supporting undergraduate engineering student mental health. In Proceedings of the 51st Annual conference of the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI 2023): engineering education for sustainability: reflecting on the role of engineering and technology education for a sustainable world, 11-14 September 2023, Dublin, Ireland. Dublin: TU Dublin [online], pages 3284-3291. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21427/MATP-QP66

• Conference Name: 51st Annual conference of the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI 2023): engineering education for sustainability: reflecting on the role of engineering and technology education for a sustainable world
• Conference Location: Dublin, Ireland
• Start Date: Sep 11, 2023
• End Date: Sep 14, 2023
• Acceptance Date: Jun 8, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Oct 10, 2023
• Publication Date: Oct 10, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jan 11, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 11, 2024
• Publisher: TU Dublin
• Pages: 3284-3291
• ISBN: 9782873520267
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.21427/MATP-QP66
• Keywords: Mental health; Mental wellness; Engineering culture
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2204792