A Comparative Study of Psychological Well-Being and Adjustment Among Secondary School Students Across Gender and School Type

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical period marked by emotional, social,  and  psychological  transitions  that  significantly influence mental health and personal development. This study aimed to examine the impact of gender and type of school on the psychological well-being and adjustment of secondary school students. The sample consisted of 80 adolescents  (40  boys  and  40  girls)  selected  through stratified random sampling from government and private schools in the West Singhbhum district. Psychological well-being was assessed using the Psychological Well- Being Scale by Sisodia and Choudhary, and adjustment was measured using the Adjustment Inventory for School Students by Sinha and Singh. Independent samples t-tests were applied to analyze the impact of gender and school type. The results revealed a significant impact of gender on both psychological well-being and adjustment, with girls scoring higher than boys on both variables. This finding suggests that female students may have better emotional regulation and coping mechanisms. Regarding the type of school, a significant impact was found on adjustment, with private school students showing better adjustment than their government school counterparts. However,   no   significant   difference   was   found   in psychological well-being based on school type. The study highlights that gender plays a more consistent role in influencing     both     psychological     well-being     and adjustment,    while    school    type    primarily    affects adjustment. These findings emphasize the importance of gender-sensitive mental health programs and improving student support systems in government schools. Further research is recommended to explore additional factors such as socio-economic status, parenting style, and peer relationships affecting adolescent mental health.