Subjective Wellbeing of Undergraduate Engineering Students: A Mixed Methods Study

In higher education, the prevalence of mental health issues among students has raised concerns regarding their overall success and wellbeing. While existing research often focuses on identifying and addressing mental health problems, there is a lack of emphasis on understanding the positive contributors to students\u27 mental health. In this study, I expand the concept of mental health beyond the absence of negative mental health states to include the presence of positive mental health aspects through the concept of Subjective Wellbeing (SWB) (feeling that your life is going well, not badly), of engineering undergraduate participants. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from engineering undergraduate students within the College of Engineering at Utah State in a Concurrent Mixed Methods paradigm through an online survey. Analysis of the data provided valuable insights into SWB among undergraduate students and the factors perceived to contribute to it. Furthermore, this research offers recommendations aimed at enhancing the collegiate experiences of engineering undergraduates to positively influence their mental health and overall wellbeing. By focusing on the holistic understanding of subjective wellbeing, this study contributes to the broader dialogue on student mental health and the promotion of a thriving academic environment