Differential Impact of Indian States on Positive Mental Health of Junior Hockey Players

Abstract

In India, where hockey holds a place of national pride and historical relevance, junior hockey players represent both the future of the sport and a vulnerable group undergoing critical transitions. A comparative exploration of positive mental health among tribal junior hockey players across different Indian states can help identify contextual strengths and gaps, thereby enabling the development of targeted mental health promotion strategies in sports academies and policy frameworks. The present study aimed to compare positive mental health among tribal junior national hockey players from four Indian states: Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra. A total of 100 participants (N = 100), aged 14 to 18 years, were purposively selected, with 25 players representing each state. Positive mental health was assessed using the Positive Mental Health Inventory. Employing a Static Group Comparison Design (SGCD), descriptive statistics were calculated to characterise mental health levels. To examine differences in positive mental health scores across states, a one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was conducted at the 0.05 significance level, preceded by Levene’s test to confirm homogeneity of variances. Significant differences among state groups were further explored using the Sidak post hoc test. Results revealed a statistically significant difference in positive mental health scores, with an F-value of 8.11 exceeding the critical value of 2.69, indicating that the state of origin significantly influences the positive mental health of tribal junior national hockey players. The test revealed statistically significant differences between the mean scores of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh (p = .045), Jharkhand and Maharashtra (p = .000), and Odisha and Maharashtra (p = .002). These results support the earlier ANOVA findings, reinforcing the conclusion that regional disparities in mental health do exist, particularly between states with more developed sports support systems and those with relatively limited resources or psychological support mechanisms for tribal junior athletes. In conclusion, the study underscores the impact of state-level disparities on the positive mental health of tribal junior hockey players in India.