RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate any differences between non-medical and medical college students for : 1) a level and the nature of perceived stress, 2) a level of life satisfaction, and 3) the related factors affecting to life satisfaction. METHODS: We measured self-reported questionnaires of stress, satisfaction with life, health behavior including happiness, alcohol use, nicotine dependency and depressive symptoms in 1,714(863 non-medical and 851 medical) college students. RESULTS: Non-medical college students had significantly higher total stress scores than medical college students(chi2=7.66, p<.001). In non-medical college students, employment problem score was significantly higher than medical college students(t=4.07, p<.001). In medical college students, the scores of academic achievement (t=-3.81, p<.001), change of social life(t=-2.03, p<.05), death(t=-2.05, p<.05) or sickness(t=-2.60, p<.05) of friends were significantly higher than non-medical college students. And non-medical college students showed significantly lower life satisfaction scores than medical college students(chi2=-19.05, p<.001). We also found that life satisfaction were significantly related to happiness in non-medical college students(beta=.410, R2=.325, p<.001) and depressive symptoms in medical college students(beta=-.435, R2=.326, p<.001) by stepwise multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, a level and the nature of perceived stress, a level of life satisfaction, and the related factors affecting to life satisfaction showed definitely differences between non-medical and medical college students. We suggest with our findings that specified mental health promotion program need for the college student's mental health management.