A Study on the Mental Health of the Post-Pandemic Generation of Engineering Students to Ensure the Resilience of the Study Process

Young people who were distance learners during the Covid-19 pandemic, who were deprived of the opportunity to socialize and overused information and communication technologies, have currently enrolled in universities. In addition to the sources of stress experienced by all first-year students, such as moving away from home, learning to live independently, developing new social networks, adjusting to new ways of learning, academic concerns, finances, worries about future prospects etc., the Covid-19 pandemic created many additional stressors, e.g., excessive use of information and communication technologies, restrictions on physical activity, social isolation, loneliness, pressure to learn independently, giving up the daily routine, insufficient social support, etc. Therefore, the objectives of this study are the following: to rate the emotional well-being and feelings of the first-year engineering students, identify difficulties faced by the first-year engineering students that affect mental health and what measures are needed to reduce mental health problems. To achieve the research objectives, a literature review, a survey of the first-year engineering students and focused interviews of academic staff were conducted. The results of this research show that reducing the workload, providing assistance in studies and opportunities for physical activities and sport could significantly improve the emotional well-being of students. The academic support is the most important to reduce the mental health problems of students and ensure the resilience of the study process.