Examining the Relationship Between the Quality of Prayer Practice, Emotion Regulation, and Resilience Among University Students

The quality of prayer practice extends beyond the repetition of ritual behavior and depends on factors such as attentiveness during prayer, mindful awareness, and understanding the meaning of supplication. These dimensions may be associated with the ways university students cope with psychological pressures. The present study aims to examine the relationship between the quality of prayer practice, emotion regulation, and resilience among university students and to explain the cognitive and emotional mechanisms underlying the relationships among these variables. This study employs a descriptive-analytical approach based on library research and a review of relevant scholarly articles. Within this framework, the components of prayer quality, emotion regulation strategies, and dimensions of resilience are examined, and their conceptual relationships are analyzed. Findings derived from the literature indicate that attentiveness during prayer, mental concentration, and the attribution of personal and spiritual meaning to worship may be associated with increased emotional self-awareness, cognitive reappraisal, and reduced preoccupation with worries. Furthermore, the conscious experience of prayer may contribute to psychological resources associated with resilience by strengthening hope, a sense of coherence, and the capacity to tolerate difficulties. Emotion regulation may serve as an explanatory mechanism for understanding the potential relationship between prayer quality and psychological adjustment. However, conceptual and library-based evidence alone is insufficient to establish a causal relationship. Therefore, empirical investigation of these associations is necessary, taking into account individual differences, academic circumstances, and the diverse cultural contexts of university students across higher education settings.