Temiz, Yunus Emre2026-04-042026-04-0420252146-49012667-6575https://doi.org/10.35415/sirnakifd.1731457https://search.trdizin.gov.tr/tr/yayin/detay/1366237https://hdl.handle.net/11616/108464This study examines the relationships between religious motivation, optimism, and helplessness among university students, aiming to explore whether religiosity reduces helplessness and whether optimism mediates this effect. The university years represent a phase where individuals face significant psychological challenges, making this research particularly relevant for both theory and practice. Although prior studies have investigated the link between religiosity and helplessness, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain underexplored. Crucially, there is a paucity of research focusing on mediating variables-such as optimism-that may explain how religiosity influences helplessness. The need for research exploring whether the psychological impact of religiosity operates not only directly but also through positive individual resources such as optimism constitutes the fundamental motivation of this study. Adopting a quantitative correlational design, data were collected via questionnaire from 502 university students. The findings revealed that religiosity significantly enhances optimism, while optimism, in turn, strongly reduces feelings of helplessness. Mediation analysis confirmed that optimism fully mediates the relationship between religiosity and helplessness. The results underscore that understanding psychological resilience among university students requires attention not only to their level of religiosity but also to the mental frameworks it fosters-particularly optimism. This study highlights the need to consider positive psychological resources, such as optimism, when examining the mechanisms of religiosity's benefits. In this regard, mental health interventions for university students should integrate both spiritual resources and psychological competencies to offer more comprehensive support.trinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessPsychology of ReligionReligious MotivationOptimismHelplessnessMediation EffectUndergraduate StudentArticle3851454110.35415/sirnakifd.17314571366237WOS:001641270300019N/A