ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1602643
This article is part of the Research TopicPublic Health Strategies to Improve Mental Health in the Education Sector: Perspectives and ApplicationsView all 15 articles
The Mechanisms Linking Work-Life Balance and Well-being among Chinese College Teachers
Provisionally accepted
- 1Hezhou University, Hezhou, China
- 2Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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This study conducted interviews to explore the multifaceted interplay between job demands, work engagement, work-life balance, and well-being among Chinese college teachers.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen participants, and thematic analysis revealed several key findings. First, perceived job value, family support, and financial security can alleviate the pressures of job demands, thereby contributing to a harmonious work-life balance.However, excessive job demands may exceed teachers' capabilities, leading to physical and mental health issues, as well as disruptions to personal life, which hinder the attainment of work-life balance. Second, job value, responsibility, work interest, and family support were found to strengthen work engagement. The resulting sense of accomplishment, along with rewards for their dedication, fosters a greater sense of work-life balance. Additionally, financial security, family support, and perceived social status emerged as critical factors linked to achieving work-life balance, which is essential for nurturing physical and mental health, improving interpersonal harmony, and enhancing overall well-being. These findings reveal a nuanced, non-linear relationship among job demands, work engagement, work-life balance, and well-being within Chinese higher education institutions. They highlight the complexity of these variables' correlations, uncovering both positive and negative linkages and causalities. Moreover, this research provides empirical insights for practical applications in policy and institutional reforms.
Keywords: job demands, work engagement, work-life balance, Well-being, physical and mental health, Interpersonal harmony, sense of achievement
Received: 30 Mar 2025; Accepted: 28 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wei, Ma and Ye. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jian-Hong Ye, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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