The Role of strategical Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Self-esteem in the Happiness of Mothers with a Mentally Retarded children

Introduction: the birth and presence of Mental Retardation child in any family can be considered an undesirable and challenging event that may lead to stress, frustration, feelings of sadness and hopelessness. Therefore the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between strategical Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Self-esteem with Happiness in Mothers Mentally Retarded children.  Method: The research was a correlation study. The statistical population of this study was all Mothers of Mentally Retarded children in Tehran. The sample consisted of 200 mothers of mentally retarded children in Tehran who were selected by based on multi-stage cluster sampling method. The instrument used in the research was a questionnaires, Cognitive Emotion Regulation of Granefski and Kraaij (2006), Self-Esteem Scale of Rosenberg (1965) and Oxford Happiness Inventory. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (multiple regression, Pearson correlation coefficient) and analyzed using SPSS20 software.  Results: showed that strategies Cognitive Emotional Regulation and Self-esteem positively predict the Happiness of Mothers of Mental retarded children. Also, there was a positive and significant relationship between Cognitive Emotional Regulation with the Happiness of Mothers of Mental Retarded Children (p<0.001), and there was a positive and significant relationship between the Self-esteem and the Happiness of Mothers of Mental Retarded Children (p<0.001).  Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that improving the positive strategies Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Self-esteem can increase the happiness of mother of mental retarded children. The results of this research can be used in counseling centers for education and well-being centers.