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Nomophobia, the fear or anxiety associated with being without one’s mobile phone, has emerged as a growing mental health concern globally. While research largely focuses on adolescents and young adults, little is known about its impact on older professionals such as school teachers, whose occupational routines increasingly demand continuous digital connectivity. This study estimated the prevalence of nomophobia among teachers in Deoghar district and examined its association with depression, anxiety, and stress. A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design was employed, beginning with a cross-sectional survey of 200 teachers selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire incorporating the nomophobia questionnaire (NMP-Q) and depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21). Quantitative findings were supplemented with thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 15 purposively selected participants to contextualize psychological and behavioral patterns. Of the 141 respondents included in the final analysis, 92.9% exhibited some level of nomophobia, with 16.3% categorized as severe. Nomophobia scores revealed weak but statistically significant positive correlations with depression (rho = 0.272, P = 0.001), anxiety (rho = 0.207, P = 0.014), and stress (rho = 0.251, P = 0.003). Qualitative themes revealed emotional attachment, work-driven dependency, psychological distress, and conflict between personal and professional life. Although only 7.8% sought mental healthcare, participants expressed high acceptance of tele-consultation services. Nomophobia is highly prevalent among teachers in this region, driven largely by institutional expectations of constant digital availability. Its significant association with psychological distress highlights the need for organizational digital hygiene policies and accessible mental health support, including tele-psychiatry interventions.