Background: To date, researchers have paid extensive attention to happiness and its relationship with a wide variety of personality, socio-demographic, and health-related factors. However, there is still little research on the issue of happiness. This study was done to investigate happiness and mental health and the relationship between them in the students studying at Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran, in 2010. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 315 students at Arak University of Medical Sciences who were randomly selected during 2010. The students' happiness was measured by Oxford questionnaire and their mental health was measured using GHQ28. Data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, Logistic regression, and Chi-square test using SPSS software. Results: The mean of happiness in the students was 40.72±14.14 with only 9.2% of them in the normal range of happiness. Their mental health score was 25.73±7.47 with 32.1% of them within the normal range. Pearson correlation coefficient showed a statistically significant relationship between happiness score and mental health score (r=-0.14, p=0.012). Conclusion: Happiness and mental health status in the students at Arak University of Medical Sciences necessitate the need for more serious attention to this issue in educational planning.

Keywords: Happiness score, Mental health, Students

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