From thriving to self-reliance: latent profiles of mental health attitudes in engineering culture
Mental health challenges among undergraduate engineering students are well documented; however, existing research has primarily relied on variable-centered approaches that overlook how stigma, help-seeking attitudes, mental health, and perceptions of engineering culture co-occur within individuals. Understanding these interrelationships from an ecological perspective is essential for informing educational practices that support student wellbeing. Guided by Bronfenbrenner's bioecological Process–Person–Context–Time (PPCT) model- this study employed a person-centered approach using latent profile analysis (LPA). Survey data were collected from 1,151 undergraduate engineering students at two large public U.S. universities. Six domains were examined: social stigma, help-seeking attitudes, mental health, engineering identity and belonging, perceived departmental care, and perceived departmental diversity. A six-profile solution provided the best fit, revealing distinct configurations of student experiences. Profiles ranged from “Thriving”, characterized by strong wellbeing and supportive environments, to “Self-Reliant”, marked by high psychological distress and low belonging despite relatively positive help-seeking attitudes. Mental health did not align uniformly with stigma or help-seeking; instead, it consistently co-occurred with engineering identity, belonging, and perceptions of departmental climate. Demographic analyses indicated that women and students with minoritized sexual orientations were disproportionately represented in higher-risk profiles. These findings demonstrate substantial heterogeneity in engineering students' mental health experiences, highlighting the importance of situating wellbeing within disciplinary and institutional contexts and exploring their interactions with an ecosystem lens. Implications for engineering education include the need for targeted, context-sensitive interventions that address both individual help-seeking behaviors and departmental climate. This study contributes to an ecosystem-oriented understanding of student mental health and supports the development of more inclusive and responsive educational environments.