The purposes of the current study were to explore self-compassion and subjective well-being as a mediator among the relationship life stress and depression of overseas Chinese students and local students. 1,347 college students were recruited from the whole Taiwan’s universities and colleges, with 575 were overseas Chinese students and 772 were local students. Data were collected and analyzed by description statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, ANOVA, and process model analysis. The results showed that: (1) In terms of "self-kindness" and "mindfulness", local students and Malaysian overseas Chinese students obtain a higher average score than Hong Kong and Macau students; In terms of "isolation" and "over-identification", local students and Hong Kong and Macau students obtain a higher average score than Malaysian overseas Chinese students. (2) Self-compassion and subjective well-being plays a partially serial mediating role in the prediction from family stress to depression for local students, Malaysian overseas Chinese students, and Hong Kongese and Macanese overseas Chinese students. (3) Self-compassion and subjective well-being plays a partially serial mediating role in the prediction from furture planning stress to depression for local students, Malaysian overseas Chinese students, and Hong Kongese and Macanese overseas Chinese students. (4) Self-compassion and subjective well-being plays a partially serial mediating role in the prediction from economic stress to depression for local students, and Malaysian overseas Chinese students. (5) Self-kindness, self-criticism, isolation, over-identification, and subjective well-being plays a partially serial mediating role in the prediction from economic stress to depression for Hong Kongese and Macanese overseas Chinese students. (6) Self-compassion and subjective well-being plays a partially serial mediating role in the prediction from emotional quarrel stress to depression for local students, Malaysian and Hong Kongese Macanese overseas Chinese students. (7) Self-compassion and subjective well-being plays a partially serial mediating role in the prediction from interpersonal stress to depression for local students, Malaysian and Hong Kongese Macanese overseas Chinese students.

The research suggestion can provide attention and guidance on the aspects of "study, future employment and further education planning and economic life adaptation" of Malaysian overseas Chinese students. In addition, higher education can regularly organize study skills and after-school stress relief courses. To enable Malaysian students who are more active in their academic work to have a way to deal with their higher learning pressure.

The research suggests that Hong Kong and Macau students can pay attention to and provide guidance on "learning, future employment and further studies planning, language, and interpersonal communication". In addition, universities and colleges must implement special remedial teaching for Hong Kong and Macao students who are not able to connect to the language or high school curriculum to resolve differences in language and learning progress. The majority of overseas Chinese in Hong Kong and Macao use Cantonese and Portuguese as the main language, so it is more necessary to strengthen the language courses. Many Hong Kong and Macao students choose to study in Taiwan because it is difficult to enroll in universities in their places of residence. Therefore, their motivation to study is lower than that of Malaysian overseas students. Therefore, colleges and universities need to hold courses and lectures related to the future goals and planning of the department more often, so that Hong Kong and Macao students have a deeper understanding of their own departments, and increase their sense of belonging, identity and motivation to study.

Career development and employment counseling groups/psychological counseling centers or international cooperation offices of colleges and universities need to provide overseas Chinese students with friendly and convenient academic counseling and future planning counseling. And they need to hold regular activities, courses, and lectures to let them understand how the status of overseas Chinese students develops in Taiwan, the future development of the field of the department, whether they can be employed in Taiwan, or whether they can effectively bridge the field after returning to the overseas residence of professionalism. If colleges and universities can provide such assistance, overseas Chinese students can study in Taiwan with greater peace of mind.