ROLE OF MENTAL HEALTH, SOCIAL CAPITAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL IN SHAPING WORK-LIFE BALANCE AMONG RURAL SCHOOL TEACHERS: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING APPROACH

Abstract

This paper evaluates interrelationships between mental health, psychological capital (PsyCap), social capital, and work-life balance (WLB) among 318 rural school teachers as complex through structural equation modeling (SEM) and bootstrapping methods. The study will use a quantitative research design involving correlation analysis, multiple linear regression, and SEM to establish the direct and indirect relationships between these psychosocial factors and their effect on the capacity of teachers to achieve a work-life balance. The findings indicate that mental health directly impacts (b = 0.34, p < 0.002) work-life balance, and both social capital and psychological capital are significant mediators of the same. It is interesting to note that psychological capital is a stronger mediator (b = 0.19, p < 0.001) than social capital (b = 0.13, p = 0.001), which implies a specific significance of internal psychological factors (hope, optimism, resilience, and self-efficacy) in the formation of work-life outcomes in teachers. Work-life balance is greatly predicted by demographic variables, such as gender and qualification, but not by age and teaching experience. There is also a positive correlation of blending and segmentation strategies with work-life balance (r = 0.439, p < 0.01). These results highlight the importance of the urgent need to apply interventions to enhance the mental health and psychological capital of rural teachers, as well as improve social support systems and enable the strategies of boundary management. The research paper adds to the increasing body of literature on occupational well-being in schools. It offers practical information to policymakers and educational leaders who would like to improve teacher well-being and organizational performance.