The stress caused by war is not limited to the war period, but after the war, it creates chronic and acute reactions, which are characterized by psychological and physical injuries and a decrease in happiness. This study aimed to predict happiness based on anxiety, depression, and cognitive flexibility with the mediation of spiritual intelligence in the prisoners of Iran-Iraq war in Tehran.

The current study is descriptive-correlation research (structural equations). The statistical population consisted of all the prisoners of the Iran-Iraq war in Tehran in 2021-2022, of which 178 prisoners of war entered the research through non-random and voluntary sampling. Data were collected using Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, and Spiritual Intelligence Scale.

Anxiety indirectly affects happiness through the mediator variable of spiritual intelligence, with a standardized coefficient of -0.033 (p<0.05). Depression indirectly affects happiness through the mediator variable of spiritual intelligence, with a standardized coefficient of -0.040 (p<0.01). Cognitive flexibility indirectly affects happiness through the mediator variable of spiritual intelligence, with a standardized coefficient of 0.133 (p<0.05).

Happiness is predicted based on anxiety, depression and cognitive flexibility with the mediation of spiritual intelligence in prisoners of war.