One of the important areas of contemporary research is the study of the concept of psychological well-being. Psychological well-being is interpreted by researchers as a multi-component construct that includes psychological, physical, cultural, spiritual, and social parameters. Psychological well-being is, above all, a subjective reality that is reflected in an individual's well-being and self-relationship. The purpose of the study is to identify the differences in the level of psychological well-being between non-athletes and athletes, particularly those engaged in martial arts (using taekwondo as an example). Research methods and organization. The sample of the study consisted of students from the 2nd to 4th years of universities in Saint Petersburg. The level of psychological well-being was measured using the "Psychological Well-Being Scale" questionnaire. The mathematical processing of the data was carried out using the Mann-Whitney criterion. Research results and conclusions. As a result of the study, it has been established that engaging in sports has a positive impact on an individual's psychological well-being, regardless of the type of sport practiced. Among men, the average level of psychological well-being of taekwondo athletes is lower than that of athletes in other sports, while among women, taekwondo athletes exhibit a higher level of psychological well-being compared to athletes in other sports. The average levels of psychological well-being among non-athlete women are below the norm. The differences between non-athletes and taekwondo athletes are observed at a high level of significance, as are the differences between non-athletes and athletes in other sports. At the same time, the data of the study of taekwondo athletes and other athletes do not differ at the level of statistical significance.