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Elements of engineering culture affecting undergraduate students' mental health and their help‐seeking attitudes.

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Title: Elements of engineering culture affecting undergraduate students' mental health and their help‐seeking attitudes.
Authors: Sánchez‐Peña, Matilde L.1 (AUTHOR) matildes@buffalo.edu, McAlister, Anne M.2 (AUTHOR), Ramirez, Nichole M.3 (AUTHOR), Kamal, Syed Ali1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Engineering Education. Jul2025, Vol. 114 Issue 3, p1-27. 27p.
Subject Terms: *Help-seeking behavior, *Conflict (Psychology), *Undergraduates, *Group identity, *Social networks, *Social norms, Mental health, Thematic analysis
Abstract: Background: Evidence exists that some aspects of engineering as a disciplinary culture are problematic for students' mental health and help‐seeking attitude (HSAs). In order to promote positive cultural change, it is critical to further characterize those problematic aspects of engineering culture. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to expand on the specific mechanisms through which shared beliefs and values within engineering culture harm students' mental well‐being and how they transform decision making that limits help‐seeking. Design/Method: Operationalizing engineering as a disciplinary culture and framed under social identity theory, we conducted a thematic analysis of 60 semi‐structured interviews among engineering undergraduates at two institutions in the continental United States. Results: Problem solving and efficiency were a public representation of engineering that participants linked with a preference for solving mental health problems on their own or not at all. Communication and collaboration were highlighted as necessary but not always developed skills due to rampant competition. Such tensions jeopardized students' ability to create and use essential support networks for mental health. The demands of an engineering degree were confirmed as affecting mental health negatively and deterring students' HSAs. Finally, masculinity and Whiteness in engineering were identified as elements influencing poor mental health and HSAs of gender and racial minorities. Conclusions: Significant changes in the culture of engineering are necessary to improve HSAs of engineering students. We propose different strategies to start re‐imagining the identified cultural elements in engineering to support students' mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Engineering Education is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Elements of engineering culture affecting undergraduate students' mental health and their help‐seeking attitudes.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sánchez‐Peña%2C+Matilde+L%2E%22">Sánchez‐Peña, Matilde L.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> matildes@buffalo.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22McAlister%2C+Anne+M%2E%22">McAlister, Anne M.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ramirez%2C+Nichole+M%2E%22">Ramirez, Nichole M.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kamal%2C+Syed+Ali%22">Kamal, Syed Ali</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Engineering+Education%22">Journal of Engineering Education</searchLink>. Jul2025, Vol. 114 Issue 3, p1-27. 27p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Help-seeking+behavior%22">Help-seeking behavior</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Conflict+%28Psychology%29%22">Conflict (Psychology)</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Undergraduates%22">Undergraduates</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Group+identity%22">Group identity</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+networks%22">Social networks</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+norms%22">Social norms</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+health%22">Mental health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thematic+analysis%22">Thematic analysis</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: Evidence exists that some aspects of engineering as a disciplinary culture are problematic for students' mental health and help‐seeking attitude (HSAs). In order to promote positive cultural change, it is critical to further characterize those problematic aspects of engineering culture. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to expand on the specific mechanisms through which shared beliefs and values within engineering culture harm students' mental well‐being and how they transform decision making that limits help‐seeking. Design/Method: Operationalizing engineering as a disciplinary culture and framed under social identity theory, we conducted a thematic analysis of 60 semi‐structured interviews among engineering undergraduates at two institutions in the continental United States. Results: Problem solving and efficiency were a public representation of engineering that participants linked with a preference for solving mental health problems on their own or not at all. Communication and collaboration were highlighted as necessary but not always developed skills due to rampant competition. Such tensions jeopardized students' ability to create and use essential support networks for mental health. The demands of an engineering degree were confirmed as affecting mental health negatively and deterring students' HSAs. Finally, masculinity and Whiteness in engineering were identified as elements influencing poor mental health and HSAs of gender and racial minorities. Conclusions: Significant changes in the culture of engineering are necessary to improve HSAs of engineering students. We propose different strategies to start re‐imagining the identified cultural elements in engineering to support students' mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Engineering Education is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1002/jee.70017
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Help-seeking behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Conflict (Psychology)
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      – SubjectFull: Undergraduates
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      – SubjectFull: Group identity
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      – SubjectFull: Social networks
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      – SubjectFull: Social norms
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      – SubjectFull: Mental health
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      – SubjectFull: Thematic analysis
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      – TitleFull: Elements of engineering culture affecting undergraduate students' mental health and their help‐seeking attitudes.
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            NameFull: McAlister, Anne M.
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            – D: 01
              M: 07
              Text: Jul2025
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              Y: 2025
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