Objectives To explore the characteristics of college students’ sense of humor and its relations with the subjective well-being and depression against the background of Chinese culture.Method 245 college students were investigated with humor style questionnaire

coping humor scale

general well-being scale and self-rating depression scale.The results were analyzed.Results Males scored higher than females in aggressive humor

while lower in coping humor and affiliative humor.The differences are statistically significant（P<0.05 or P<0.01）;coping humor

self-enhancing humor and affiliative humor positively correlate with subjective well-being and depression（P<0.05）

while self-defeating humor and aggressive humor negatively correlate with subjective well-being and depression（P<0.05）.All humor styles but self-enhancing humor apply to the regression equation.Conclusion There’s gender difference in some of the humor styles

and different humor styles exert different impact upon mental health.