Comparison of lifestyle, quality of life and mental health in two military dependent and non-military dependent university personnel

  Aims: Studies performed on military structure indicate psychological issues which may occur considering the nature of military jobs. The present study was performed with the aim of comparing the lifestyle, quality of life and mental health of two military and non-military universities’ personnel.   Methods: This descriptive comparative study was performed in year 2008. 344 (131 men, 213 women) personnel of two universities of Tahran were selected by available sampling method and completed Millon Clinical Multi-axial Inventory III (MCMI III), Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP II) and WHO Quality of Life–Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. Data was analyzed by SPSS 11.5 software, using descriptive statistical methods and independent t-test.   Results: Comparing mental health variables, there was significant difference between two groups in majority of mental health subscales and the military university personnel had higher mental health. No significant difference was found in terms of lifestyle and quality of life between the two groups.   Conclusion: Military university personnel have higher mental health compared to non-military university personnel, but there is no significant difference in lifestyle and quality of life between the two groups. Higher levels of mental health in personnel of the military university can be related to performing preventive procedures for mental health improvement as well as job security and clear promotion processes.