Comparative Analysis of Mental Health Status among Physical Education Teachers in Urban and Rural Schools

सार

Mental health is a necessary element in the general well-being of teachers; it directly affects their professional performance, teaching effectiveness in the classroom, and students' learning outcomes positively or negatively. Physical Education (PE) teachers encounter specific occupational stressors such as physical demand, student handling difficulties, and scarcity of materials, which can vary in their effects on their mental health in urban and rural school environments. The present research sought to compare and evaluate the mental health status of PE teachers in urban and rural schools.  The sampling method used was stratified random sampling, resulting in a sample size of 200 (100 from urban and 100 from rural areas) participants altogether. The study followed a quantitative, descriptive, and comparative research design. The primary assessment tools used for data collection were standardized questionnaires comprising the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) along with a demographic questionnaire. The analysis displayed considerable differences in the mental health scores of PE teachers in urban and rural areas, whereby urban teachers reported higher stress levels due to workload and performance, and rural teachers experienced isolation and lack of resources as the main problems. These findings highlight the necessity for interventions targeting, e.g., counseling services, training programs, and policy measures to improve teacher well-being. The study brings a new understanding of teacher occupational stress disparities and gives practical insights for mental health promotion in schools as well as the entire educational system.