2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Students in engineering programs are part of a vulnerable group when it comes to mental health challenges, affected by a range of factors such as heavy academic workload, gender imbalance, and financial burden. Although there are emerging research studies on mental health of engineering students recently from other countries (e.g., Australia, Africa, and Turkey), it is still not clear what are the unique challenges of engineering students in the US. Moreover, students in civil engineering and construction management may encounter unique challenges after graduation when working on a construction site that tends to be highly risky because of the nature of the work. To understand the factors affecting the mental health of students in engineering fields, especially those in civil engineering and construction management, this paper 1) conducts a preliminary review of the factors affecting the mental health of engineering students, and 2) designs a pilot test using smart watches (e.g., Fitbit) to track the physiological data of a few engineering students over two weeks. The findings of this paper provide insights into the mental health challenges of engineering students in the US and will help develop stress management, mental health and well-being strategies for the next generation of civil engineers, construction and project managers.
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Keywords:
Mental health, wearable sensors, gender imbalance, academic stress, engineering students