Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale

What it measures

The 10-item short form of the most widely used resilience measure in clinical research. Captures personal competence, tolerance of negative affect, acceptance of change, and personal control. Widely used in trauma, military, and intervention research.

Response format

Likert (0–4, not true at all to true nearly all the time); total 0–40

Representative items

• I am able to adapt when changes occur.
• I can deal with whatever comes my way.
• I try to see the humorous side of things when faced with problems.
• Having to cope with stress can make me stronger.
• I am able to handle unpleasant or painful feelings like sadness, fear, and anger.

This is a licensed instrument — representative items are shown for reference only. Obtain the original scale materials from the publisher before use in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Freely available for non-commercial research from Jonathan Davidson's website. Scores 0–40; higher = more resilient. Can be used alongside PHQ-9 and PTSD measures as a comprehensive battery.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Campbell-Sills, L., & Stein, M.B. (2007). Psychometric analysis and refinement of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC): Validation of a 10-item measure of resilience. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 20(6), 1019–1028.

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