Comparative Analysis of Stress Levels and Psychological Well-being: Permanent vs. Hourly Contract College Faculty

This study aims to explore and compare the levels of stress and psychological well-being among college faculty members employed in Contractual Hourly-Based (CHB) positions and Permanent positions. The sample consisted of 80 college teachers from various colleges in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Private University, Panvel, Navi Mumbai, divided into two groups: 40 CHB job teachers and 40 permanent job teachers. Data were collected using the Psychological Wellbeing Scale and the Social Readjustment Rating Scale to assess psychological well-being and stress levels, respectively. The findings revealed that permanent job teachers had significantly higher psychological well-being (M = 203.25) compared to CHB job teachers (M = 191.34), with a t-value of 7.62, significant at the 0.01 level. In terms of stress, CHB job teachers had higher stress levels (M = 764.35) than their permanent counterparts (M = 744.15), with a t-value of 15.89, also significant at the 0.01 level. These results suggest that permanent faculty experience better psychological well-being and lower stress than their CHB counterparts. The study underscores the importance of job security and work conditions in influencing the psychological health and stress levels of college teachers.