Personality and Job Satisfaction as Predictors of Teachers’ Mental Health: Evidence from Nadia District

This study examines how personality factors and job satisfaction influence the mental health of secondary school teachers in Nadia District, West Bengal. Using a survey-based design with a representative sample of teachers, the research explores both direct and indirect effects of these factors. Results indicate that positive traits such as conscientiousness and emotional stability are linked to stronger mental health, while job satisfaction serves as an important pathway through which personality shapes well-being. Teachers reporting higher job satisfaction also experience lower stress and greater resilience, underscoring its role as both a predictor and mediator. The study highlights the need for school-level interventions that enhance supportive working conditions and address personality-related vulnerabilities. These findings have practical implications for improving teacher well-being and sustaining educational quality in the region.

Personality Factors; Job Satisfaction; Teacher Mental Health; Secondary School Teachers; Nadia District

1. Abdullah, M. H. S. (2023). Negative implications of workload among teachers: A systematic review. Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 16(2), 45–57. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Almutairi, F. A., & Ahmed, A. G. (2022). The Big Five personality traits as predictors of job satisfaction among teachers. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 32(3), 223–231. https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2022.2076145 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Anglim, J., Horwood, S., Smillie, L. D., Marrero, R. J., & Wood, J. K. (2020). Predicting psychological and subjective well-being from personality: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 146(4), 279–323. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000226 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Bakker, A. B., & de Vries, J. D. (2021). Job demands–resources theory and self-regulation: New explanations and remedies for job burnout. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 34(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2020.1797695 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Behera, S. K. (2014). Occupational stress and mental health among secondary school teachers in Odisha. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 5(12), 1414–1418. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Benevene, P., Ittan, M., & Cortini, M. (2018). Self-esteem and happiness as predictors of teachers’ health: The mediating role of job satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 933. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00933 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Best, J. W., & Kahn, J. V. (2016). Education research (10th ed.). Pearson. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Brislin, R. W. (1986). The wording and translation of research instruments. In W. J. Lonner & J. W. Berry (Eds.), Field methods in cross-cultural research (pp. 137–164). Sage. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Chatterjee, P., & Saha, S. (2022). Work stress, job satisfaction, and mental health of school teachers in West Bengal: An empirical study. Journal of Education and Human Development, 11(2), 23–34. https://doi.org/10.15640/jehd.v11n2a3 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Chaudhary, R., & Sharma, S. (2019). Personality traits and job performance: A study among Indian school teachers. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 39(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2019.1572598 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Collie, R. J., Granziera, H., & Martin, A. J. (2022). Teacher stress and wellbeing: Contemporary issues and future directions. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(2), 231–245. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12462 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Collie, R. J., Shapka, J. D., & Perry, N. E. (2012). School climate and social–emotional learning: Predicting teacher stress, job satisfaction, and teaching efficacy. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(4), 1189–1204. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029356 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Collie, R. J., Shapka, J. D., & Perry, N. E. (2016). School climate and teachers’ occupational well-being: A systematic review. Review of Educational Research, 86(2), 531–565. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654315619659 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2019). How to design and evaluate education research (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Goldberg, D. P., & Hillier, V. F. (1979). A scaled version of the General Health Questionnaire. Psychological Medicine, 9(1), 139–145. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291700021644 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Gupta, R., & Kaur, J. (2022). Job satisfaction and occupational stress among rural and urban school teachers in India. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 11(1), 254–262. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_627_21 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Hülsheger, U. R., Walkowiak, A., & Thommes, M. S. (2022). How and when personality relates to well-being: A meta-analysis of personality traits, occupational stressors, and occupational well-being. Journal of Vocational Behaviour, 137, 103754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103754 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. John, O. P., & Srivastava, S. (1999). The Big-Five trait taxonomy: History, measurement, and theoretical perspectives. In L. A. Pervin & O. P. John (Eds.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (2nd ed., pp. 102–138). Guilford Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Judge, T. A., Heller, D., & Mount, M. K. (2002). Five-factor model of personality and job satisfaction: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(3), 530–541. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.3.530 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Keyes, C. L. M. (2002). The mental health continuum: From languishing to flourishing. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour, 43(2), 207–222. https://doi.org/10.2307/3090197 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Klassen, R. M., & Chiu, M. M. (2010). Effects on teachers’ self-efficacy and job satisfaction: Teacher gender, years of experience, and job stress. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(3), 741–756. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019237 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Kokkinos, C. M. (2007). Job stressors, personality and burnout in primary school teachers. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 77(1), 229–243. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709905X90344 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Kumar, S., & Mondal, B. (2021). Personality, resilience, and mental health: Evidence from Indian teachers. Indian Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(3), 202–209. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Llistosella, M., et al. (2023). Effectiveness of resilience-based interventions in schools: A systematic review. Educational Psychology Review, 35(4), 2131–2152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-022-09757-3 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Locke, E. A. (1976). The nature and causes of job satisfaction. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organisational psychology (pp. 1297–1349). Rand McNally. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Mathew, A., & Khakha, D. C. (2016). Occupational stress and job satisfaction among teachers: A review. Indian Journal of Health & Wellbeing, 7(8), 791–795. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Mathew, A., & Khakha, S. (2016a). Job satisfaction as a mediator between self-esteem and health among teachers in Kerala. Journal of Health Management, 18(2), 267–276. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972063416637702 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Mazzetti, G., Guglielmi, D., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2021). Are workaholism and work engagement in the eye of the beholder? A multilevel perspective on their relationships with job satisfaction and performance. European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology, 30(6), 743–757. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2021.1872618 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T. (2008). The Five-Factor Theory of personality. In O. P. John, R. W. Robins, & L. A. Pervin (Eds.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (3rd ed., pp. 159–181). Guilford Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Ministry of Education. (2020). National Education Policy 2020. Government of India. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Ministry of Education. (2020). National Education Policy 2020. Government of India. https://www.education.gov.in/nep [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Mishra, S., & Sahoo, D. (2020). Personality traits, job stress, and well-being among school teachers: Evidence from Odisha. Indian Journal of Psychological Science, 11(1), 45–55. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Nagyova, I., Stewart, R. E., van Dijk, J. P., Reijneveld, S. A., & van den Heuvel, W. J. A. (2000). The GHQ-28 and SF-36: A valid comparison for the assessment of quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 53(11), 1130–1137. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0895-4356(00)00234-0 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. PCI India. (2024). Policy brief on strengthening counselling services under NEP 2020. New Delhi. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Pradhan, R. K., & Jena, L. K. (2019). Teacher stress and job satisfaction: Role of policy and organisational support in India. International Journal of Educational Development, 66, 26–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2019.01.004 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Pramanick, R., Mohanty, B. K., & Adhikari, S. (2025). Personality and job satisfaction as predictors of teachers’ mental health: Evidence from Nadia district [Unpublished manuscript]. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Rao, S., & Narayan, S. (2019). Autonomy or relatedness? Rethinking Self-Determination Theory in Indian Schools. Psychology and Developing Societies, 31(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/0971333618819146 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Samanta, S., Chatterjee, P., & Mitra, S. (2022). Validation of the Big Five Inventory (BFI-44) in Indian samples: A confirmatory factor analysis. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 68, 102975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2021.102975 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Sánchez-Gómez, M., Rosa, A., & Salovey, P. (2021). Gender differences in teacher stress: The role of work-family conflict and emotional intelligence. Teaching and Teacher Education, 100, 103287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103287 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

42. Shukla, A., & Trivedi, T. (2020). Burnout and occupational stress among school teachers in India: A review. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 11(1–3), 72–79. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

43. Singh, A. K. (1989). Job Satisfaction Scale. National Psychological Corporation. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

44. Singh, A., & Gautam, A. (2024b). Teacher well-being and job satisfaction in India: A systematic review. Indian Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(1), 12–23. https://doi.org/10.15614/IJPP.2024.15002 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

45. Singh, R., & Gautam, P. (2024a). Job satisfaction and mental health among teachers: A systematic review of Indian evidence. Journal of Educational Psychology Research, 16(1), 55–72. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

46. Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2011). Teacher job satisfaction and motivation to leave the teaching profession: Relations with school context, feeling of belonging, and emotional exhaustion. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(6), 1029–1038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2011.04.001 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

47. Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2017). Teacher stress and job satisfaction: A review of research. Educational Psychology Review, 29(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-016-9400-1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

48. Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2018). Job demands and job resources as predictors of teacher motivation and well-being. Social Psychology of Education, 21(5), 1251–1275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-018-9459-0 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

49. Soto, C. J. (2021). Do links between personality and life outcomes generalise? Testing the robustness of trait–outcome associations across gender, age, ethnicity, and analytic approaches. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 120(5), 1268–1289. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000286 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

50. Soto, C. J., & John, O. P. (2017). The next Big Five Inventory (BFI-2): Developing and assessing a hierarchical model with 15 facets. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(1), 117–143. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000096 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

51. Subrahmanian, R. (2020). Intersectionality and education in India: Gender, caste and class in policy and practice. Contemporary Education Dialogue, 17(2), 131–150. https://doi.org/10.1177/0973184920920134 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

52. Sultana, R., & Malik, M. I. (2023). Teacher job satisfaction and mental health: A moderated mediation model of occupational stress and resilience. Current Psychology, 42(9), 7336–7347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01864-9 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

53. Taber, K. S. (2018). The use of Cronbach’s alpha when developing and reporting research instruments. Research in Science Education, 48(6), 1273–1296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

54. World Health Organisation. (2004). Promoting mental health: Concepts, emerging evidence, practice. WHO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study