Work-in Progress: Identity and transitions laboratory: Utilizing acceptance and commitment therapy framework to support engineering student success

Abstract

Motivation This work in progress describes a program recently implemented at our institution to proactively prepare students to deal with poor mental health, periods of intense stress, and mental and emotional disorders (MED) generally. In a review of 11 articles, Storrie et. al. determined that the number of students with documented MEDs is increasing dramatically [1]. Approximately half of the students involved in the various studies reported that their MED started after they began their undergraduate studies [1]. At our institution we are seeing dramatic increases in the demand for counseling services. A related concern is the prediction of an impending enrollment crisis in higher education. The so-called 'Demographic Cliff' has provided additional motivation to improve retention and graduation rates as the number of college-going students in many states in the United States is expected to decline. We are in the midst of a multi-year study to understand the extent to which our students are experiencing poor mental health and emotional trauma and how this may impact their academic progress. We are particularly interested in student reception to discourses on MED and whether a proactive approach lessens the stigma [1] related to MED with related increases in retention and graduation rates. Background on problem The World Health Organization estimates that 1in 3 first-year college students experience a mental health disorder[2]. In a survey of Canadian college students, Sandhu et al. found that among those affected, there was significant impact on their academic performance with stress (~ 42%), anxiety (~ 33%), and depression (~21 %) being causes of MED related poor academic [3]. While considerable research has been done on undergraduate student wellbeing, very few studies specifically target the impact of MED on engineering students. Foremost among the findings of studies on MED in undergraduate is that stigma related to MED is a barrier to students seeking help [1]. In the design of our program we considered that stigma may be especially acute for engineering students. Many engineers valorize the toughness of engineering programs and celebrate high attrition as a sign that only the best engineering students are making it through [4]. Chew-Graham et al. have found that medical students (a field of study where difficulty in study may also be conflated with rigor) avoid seeking help for MED because they believe acknowledging a mental health issue is a sign of weakness [1,5]. Roberts et al. found that the tendency to forego help for MED is more pronounced for women and racial minorities [1,6]. The existing literature is clear that college students are facing an epidemic of mental health issues. Outside of the decreased quality of life for students, there is an academic cost and a cost to institutions as students fail to achieve their academic goals and often drop out. Intense stress and other comorbid conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compromise the cognitive functions critical for learning engineering concepts [7]. These disorders affect students' emotional intelligence, coping strategies for stress, and the ability to successfully complete exams [8]. Student's ability to process information can be slowed down past the rate it is being provided in a classroom setting, resulting in low levels of learning occurring in the classroom [9]. Students with untreated anxiety disorders may not be able to manage a classroom environment or form social relationships with classmates and professors [10]. With so many of the skills and abilities required for collegiate success affected by poor mental health qualify of life (MHQoL), the effect on a student's ability to be successful in the classroom can be profound.