Interpersonal trust as a mediation of the influence of workplace spirituality and organizational justice on mental health

Background Teachers’ mental health and interpersonal trust are critical for fostering a positive educational environment. Workplace spirituality and organizational justice are increasingly recognized as important factors influencing these outcomes, yet their specific impacts remain underexplored in educational settings. Objective This study examines the effects of workplace spirituality and organizational justice on teachers’ interpersonal trust and mental health, with a focus on the mediating role of interpersonal trust. Methods Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the relationships between workplace spirituality, organizational justice, interpersonal trust, and mental health. Data were collected from teachers and analyzed to determine the direct and indirect effects of the variables. Results The analysis revealed significant positive effects of workplace spirituality on interpersonal trust and mental health, as well as organizational justice on interpersonal trust and mental health. Interpersonal trust mediated the relationship between workplace spirituality, organizational justice, and mental health. The model explained 56.8% of the variance in interpersonal trust and 67.1% of the variance in mental health. Conclusions Fostering workplace spirituality and organizational justice is essential for enhancing teachers’ interpersonal trust and mental health. These findings suggest that school management should design and implement supportive policies and programs to promote these factors. Future research should investigate additional variables influencing teacher well-being and consider diverse educational settings or methodologies.