CDRISC

CD-RISC, short for the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, is a psychometric instrument used to assess an individual’s resilience—the ability to cope with stress and bounce back from adversity. It was developed by Kathryn M. Connor and Jonathan R.T. Davidson and first published in 2003. The scale is widely used in psychology, psychiatry, and health research to quantify resilience as a positive adaptation to challenging life events.

The CD-RISC exists in several versions. The original CD-RISC-25 contains 25 items rated on a five-point Likert scale from 0 (not true at all) to 4 (true nearly all the time), yielding a total score of 0 to 100. Shorter versions include the CD-RISC-10, with a total score range of 0 to 40, and the CD-RISC-2, a two-item version with a total score range of 0 to 8. These shorter forms are designed for quick assessment while maintaining the core construct of resilience.

Psychometric properties across studies generally show good internal consistency and acceptable test-retest reliability. Validity evidence includes associations with measures of distress, coping styles, and mental health outcomes, supporting convergent validity. The factor structure of the CD-RISC has been explored extensively; some studies report a unidimensional structure, while others identify multi-factor solutions, with the exact structure sometimes varying by population and language.

CD-RISC has been translated and validated in many languages and used in diverse populations, including clinical samples, students, and general community groups. Limitations include reliance on self-report and potential cultural differences in interpreting items, necessitating validation in new settings. Overall, it remains a widely cited tool for measuring resilience in both research and clinical contexts.