Exploring Happiness and Mental Health Among Undergraduate Students: A Comparative Study of Arts and Science Disciplines

This study examines the differences in happiness and mental health among undergraduate students in arts and science disciplines at colleges in Khopoli, Maharashtra, India. A total of 100 students, 50 from arts colleges and 50 from science colleges, aged 18-23 years, were selected using purposive non-probability sampling. The study utilized the Happiness Scale by Rastogi and Moorjhani (62 items) and the Mental Health Inventory by Jagdish and Srivastav (56 items) to assess the well-being of students. Statistical analysis revealed that arts students reported significantly higher happiness (mean = 260.35, SD = 7.56) and mental health scores (mean = 163.48, SD = 4.16) compared to science students (happiness mean = 249.74, SD = 6.95; mental health mean = 152.60, SD = 3.28), with t-values of 7.30 and 14.52 respectively (p < .01). These findings suggest that students in arts colleges experience higher levels of happiness and mental health than their counterparts in science colleges. The study’s results highlight the importance of academic stream choice in influencing student well-being, though further research is required to understand the factors driving these differences.