Journal of Women Interdisciplinary Researches

Abstract The aim of the present study was to compare happiness, social interest, and emotion dysregulation in female-headed and non-female-headed households. This study employed a causal-comparative design. The statistical population included all female heads of households who referred to the Welfare Organization of Tabriz in 2023. The sample consisted of 100 individuals (50 female heads of households and 50 non-female-headed women) selected through purposive sampling. The participants were assessed using the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (1989), Alizadeh’s Social Interest Questionnaire (2020), and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale by Gratz and Roemer (2004). Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and independent t-tests. The results showed significant differences between female-headed and non-female-headed women in terms of happiness and its components (life satisfaction, positive affect, health, efficiency, self-esteem) (P < 0.001), social interest and its components (caring for others, responsibility, courage, self-acceptance) (P < 0.001), and emotion dysregulation (P < 0.001). Based on the findings, it can be concluded that female heads of households experience lower levels of happiness and social interest and higher levels of emotion dysregulation compared to non-female-headed women.