Master’s Degree Awarded to Mr. Abdulsalam Jaber Mohammed Al-Yemeni in Psychology

Mr. Mr. Abdulsalam Jaber Mohammed Al-Yemeni‎ was awarded a Master’s Degree in Psychological Counseling and Mental Health with an average of Excellent and a grade of (95) for his thesis titled: Psychological Resilience as a Mediator in the Relationship between Optimism and Irrational Thoughts among Internally Displaced Persons in the City of Sana’a, which was submitted to the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Sana’a University. The MA defense was held on Thursday, December 18, 2025.

The MA Viva-voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:

The study aimed to examine the extent to which psychological resilience mediates the relationship between optimism and irrational thoughts among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the city of Sana’a.

The study yielded a number of key findings summarized as follows:

• Psychological resilience among IDPs in Sana’a was found to be high.

• Optimism levels among IDPs in Sana’a were also high.

• Irrational thoughts among IDPs were moderate in intensity.

• A positive direct relationship was observed between psychological resilience and optimism, while negative relationships were identified between psychological resilience and irrational thoughts, and between optimism and irrational thoughts.

• No statistically significant differences were detected in psychological resilience, optimism, or irrational thoughts attributable to gender.

• Statistically significant differences in psychological resilience and optimism were found across age groups (16–25, 26–35, and 36+), favoring the 26–35 group. No significant differences were observed in irrational thoughts across age groups.

• Psychological resilience partially mediated the relationship between optimism and irrational thoughts. Moreover, optimism significantly predicted psychological resilience and partially predicted irrational thoughts.

In light of these findings, the researcher recommended:

• Establishing a psychological center or unit to provide mental health services for IDPs through the International Cooperation Sector at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and the Department of Care and Organization of IDPs at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.

• Supporting psychological programs by the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research and the Ministry of Public Health and Population to address mental disorders and promote resilient psychological awareness within society, including among IDPs.

• Implementing volunteer campaigns by mental health professionals to deliver psychological services to IDPs, emphasizing the role of resilience and optimism in adapting to challenging circumstances.

• Enhancing psychological awareness through various media outlets, addressing topics such as resilience, optimism, methods for confronting and refuting irrational thoughts, and strategies for coping with and adapting to hardship.

At the end of the defense session, the Viva-voce Committee recommended printing, publishing, and distributing the thesis to Yemeni universities, libraries, and research centers.

The defense session was attended by a number of academics, researchers, students, colleagues, and the researcher’s family.

A video from the Viva-Voce