Association of Religiosity and Help-Seeking among International Students in Undergraduate Engineering Education

Maimuna Begum Kali; Syed Ali Kamal; Matilde Luz Sanchez-Pena

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM) Technical Session 1
Tagged Division: Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/46627

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Paper Authors

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Maimuna Begum Kali Florida International University orcid.org/0000-0003-1770-7363

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Maimuna Begum Kali is a Ph.D. candidate in the Engineering and Computing Education program at the School of Universal Computing, Construction, and Engineering Education (SUCCEED) at Florida International University (FIU). She earned her B.Sc. in Computer Science and Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). Kali's research interests center on exploring the experiences of marginalized engineering students, with a particular focus on their hidden identity, mental health, and wellbeing. Her work aims to enhance inclusivity and diversity in engineering education, contributing to the larger body of research in the field.

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Syed Ali Kamal University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

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Syed Ali Kamal is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Engineering Education at University at Buffalo. His research interests lie in the area of diversity, equity and Inclusion, mental health and wellbeing.

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Matilde Luz Sanchez-Pena University at Buffalo, The State University of New York orcid.org/0000-0002-3511-0694

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Dr. Matilde Sánchez-Peña is an assistant professor of Engineering Education at the University at Buffalo – SUNY where she leads the Diversity Assessment Research in Engineering to Catalyze the Advancement of Respect and Equity (DAREtoCARE) Lab. Her research focuses on developing cultures of care and well-being in engineering education spaces, assessing gains in institutional efforts to advance equity and inclusion, and using data science for training socially responsible engineers.

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Abstract

Background: The increasing prevalence of mental health issues among college students, particularly international engineering students, has become a growing concern. While previous studies have explored factors contributing to mental health issues among college students, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding international undergraduates in engineering. International students, with their different beliefs, values, and expectations related to mental health, may have different coping strategies, help-seeking preferences, and service utilization patterns. Among various factors, religiosity may influence their approach to coping, seeking assistance, and utilizing services. With this in mind, this study investigates the impact of religiosity on the mental health, help-seeking behavior, and service utilization of international undergraduate engineering students in the United States. Purpose/Hypothesis: This study explores the relationship between religiosity and service utilization among college students, with a particular focus on international undergraduate engineering students in the US. It seeks to answer several research questions: 1) What is the prevalence of mental health conditions and help-seeking among international students? 2) Are there gender differences in help-seeking among international college students? 3) How do help-seeking (formal and informal) issues vary among students with different levels of religiosity? Design/Method: To address these questions, the study uses a logistic regression model to analyze data from engineering undergraduate students participating in the Healthy Minds Study (HMS) for 2021-2022. The study considers help-seeking and service utilization as dependent variables and examines how they relate to religiosity while controlling for certain demographic characteristics. Findings: We found that only 15.61 % of the international students in our sample were diagnosed with a mental health condition. Of them, women were twice as likely to screen positive for mental health concerns than their counterparts. Logistic regression models found that students with high religiosity are less likely to seek formal and informal help. Controlling for gender reveals that women with high religiosity are more likely to utilize informal and professional mental health services compared to men. Conclusions/Implications: The findings of this study suggest potential avenues for supporting international students' mental health. One key implication is the exploration of incorporating spiritual and religious practices, as this approach may provide valuable support to international students who may draw strength from their religious beliefs. Moreover, there is potential for collaboration between higher education institutions and local religious organizations to enhance the support and resources available to international students.

Citation
Format

Kali, M. B., & Kamal, S. A., & Sanchez-Pena, M. L. (2024, June), Association of Religiosity and Help-Seeking among International Students in Undergraduate Engineering Education Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/46627

TY - CPAPER
AB - Background: The increasing prevalence of mental health issues among college students, particularly international engineering students, has become a growing concern. While previous studies have explored factors contributing to mental health issues among college students, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding international undergraduates in engineering. International students, with their different beliefs, values, and expectations related to mental health, may have different coping strategies, help-seeking preferences, and service utilization patterns. Among various factors, religiosity may influence their approach to coping, seeking assistance, and utilizing services. With this in mind, this study investigates the impact of religiosity on the mental health, help-seeking behavior, and service utilization of international undergraduate engineering students in the United States.
Purpose/Hypothesis: This study explores the relationship between religiosity and service utilization among college students, with a particular focus on international undergraduate engineering students in the US. It seeks to answer several research questions: 1) What is the prevalence of mental health conditions and help-seeking among international students? 2) Are there gender differences in help-seeking among international college students? 3) How do help-seeking (formal and informal) issues vary among students with different levels of religiosity?
Design/Method: To address these questions, the study uses a logistic regression model to analyze data from engineering undergraduate students participating in the Healthy Minds Study (HMS) for 2021-2022. The study considers help-seeking and service utilization as dependent variables and examines how they relate to religiosity while controlling for certain demographic characteristics.
Findings: We found that only 15.61 % of the international students in our sample were diagnosed with a mental health condition. Of them, women were twice as likely to screen positive for mental health concerns than their counterparts. Logistic regression models found that students with high religiosity are less likely to seek formal and informal help. Controlling for gender reveals that women with high religiosity are more likely to utilize informal and professional mental health services compared to men.
Conclusions/Implications: The findings of this study suggest potential avenues for supporting international students&#39; mental health. One key implication is the exploration of incorporating spiritual and religious practices, as this approach may provide valuable support to international students who may draw strength from their religious beliefs. Moreover, there is potential for collaboration between higher education institutions and local religious organizations to enhance the support and resources available to international students.

AU - Maimuna Begum Kali
AU - Syed Ali Kamal
AU - Matilde Luz Sanchez-Pena
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Association of Religiosity and Help-Seeking among International Students in Undergraduate Engineering Education
UR - https://peer.asee.org/46627
ER -