Understanding the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale: A Comprehensive Guide to Measuring Resilience

Introduction

Resilience—the ability to bounce back from adversity, adapt to challenges, and maintain psychological well-being in the face of stress—is one of the most valuable qualities we can develop. But how do we measure it? One of the most widely recognised tools in psychology and clinical practice is the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC).

Whether you’re a mental health professional, a researcher, a coach, or simply someone interested in understanding your own resilience, this comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about this powerful assessment tool and explore the broader landscape of resilience measurement.

What Is the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale?

The Connor Davidson Resilience Scale is a brief self-report assessment designed to measure resilience—specifically, an individual’s ability to adapt in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress.

Developed by Kathryn Connor and Jonathan Davidson in 2003, the CD-RISC has become one of the most extensively validated resilience measures in the field. It’s used across clinical settings, research studies, coaching practices, and organisational development programs worldwide.

The scale recognises that resilience isn’t a fixed trait we either have or don’t have. Instead, it’s a dynamic quality that can be developed and strengthened over time. This fundamental insight—that resilience is malleable—has transformed how we approach mental health, trauma recovery, and personal development.

The Structure of the CD-RISC

The original CD-RISC consists of 25 items, though a shorter 10-item version has also been developed for quick screening purposes.

Each item is rated on a scale from 0 to 4:

• 0 = Not true at all
• 1 = Rarely true
• 2 = Sometimes true
• 3 = Often true
• 4 = True nearly all the time

The scale covers several dimensions of resilience, including:

Personal competence – your confidence in your abilities and self-reliance, including the belief that you can handle difficulties and trust your own judgment

Trust in instincts – your faith in your own judgment and intuition, recognising that your gut feelings are often reliable guides

Tolerance of negative affect – your capacity to handle difficult emotions without being overwhelmed, including the ability to experience sadness or anger without losing control

Acceptance of change – your ability to adapt and embrace life’s transitions, recognising that change is inevitable and manageable

Control – your sense of agency and personal effectiveness in difficult situations, including the belief that you have influence over outcomes

Spiritual influences – the role of meaning, purpose, and faith in your resilience (where applicable), which can include religious beliefs, philosophical frameworks, or a sense of life purpose

How to Use the CD-RISC

Using the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale is straightforward:

Step 1: Administration – The respondent reads each of the 25 statements and rates how true each one feels for them over the past month, using the 0-4 scale. The instructions are clear and accessible, making it suitable for individuals with varying levels of education.

Step 2: Scoring – All 25 responses are added together to create a total score, which ranges from 0 to 100. Some practitioners also calculate subscale scores to get a more nuanced understanding of specific resilience dimensions.

Step 3: Interpretation – The total score is then compared to established norms to determine an individual’s resilience level. This interpretation should consider the person’s baseline, their life circumstances, and any recent stressors.

The assessment typically takes 5-10 minutes to complete, making it an efficient tool for both clinical and research settings. Its brevity doesn’t diminish its validity—it’s one of the most psychometrically sound resilience measures available.

Interpreting Your CD-RISC Score

Understanding what your score means is crucial. Here’s a general framework for interpretation:

0-30: Low resilience. Individuals in this range may struggle significantly with stress, adversity, and adaptation. They might benefit from focused resilience-building interventions, therapeutic support, or coaching. This score often appears during acute crises or in those with untreated mental health conditions.

31-50: Low to moderate resilience. This range suggests some adaptive capacity, but there’s room for growth. Targeted strategies to build resilience could be valuable. Many people in this range are functioning but may feel vulnerable during additional stressors.

51-70: Moderate to high resilience. Individuals here generally manage stress and adversity reasonably well and have developed solid coping mechanisms. They’re likely to recover from setbacks with appropriate support.

71-100: High resilience. Scores in this range indicate strong adaptive capacity, excellent stress management, and the ability to thrive even amid significant challenges. People with these scores often inspire others with their coping abilities.

It’s important to remember that these are general guidelines. Scores should be interpreted in context—considering the individual’s life circumstances, culture, socioeconomic factors, and the specific stressors they’re facing. A person may have a lower score during an acute crisis but still have the capacity to develop greater resilience over time. Additionally, cultural differences in how people respond to stress should be considered when interpreting scores.

Why the CD-RISC Matters

The Connor Davidson Resilience Scale has become so popular because it:

Validates resilience as measurable – It acknowledges that resilience isn’t vague or mystical; it’s a real, assessable quality with specific, identifiable components.

Identifies areas for growth – By measuring different dimensions of resilience, it helps identify where individuals might focus their development efforts.

Tracks progress over time – Administering the scale periodically allows people to see how their resilience develops through interventions or life experience, making it valuable for measuring therapeutic progress.

Supports evidence-based practice – Therapists, coaches, and organisations can use it to measure the effectiveness of resilience-building programs and track outcomes.

Works across populations – The scale has been validated across diverse age groups, cultures, and clinical populations, including trauma survivors, military personnel, and those with chronic illness.

Combines ease with rigor – Unlike some complex assessment tools, the CD-RISC is accessible while maintaining strong psychometric properties.

Alternative Resilience Scales: A Broader Perspective

While the CD-RISC is widely used, it’s far from the only resilience assessment available. Understanding the alternatives can help you choose the right tool for your specific needs.

The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS)

Developed by Wagnild and Young, the Brief Resilience Scale contains just 6 items and focuses specifically on the ability to bounce back from adversity. It emphasises adaptation and recovery as the core aspects of resilience. Scores range from 6 to 30, making it extremely quick to administer. It’s particularly useful in contexts where time is limited or where you want a focused measurement of bounce-back capacity. However, its brevity means it captures fewer dimensions than the CD-RISC.

The Resilience Scale (RS)

Also developed by Wagnild and Young, the full Resilience Scale contains 25 items (similar length to the CD-RISC) and measures two main factors: personal competence and acceptance of self and life. It has been used extensively in nursing research and has strong validation across diverse populations. The scale tends to focus more on personal strength and acceptance, making it particularly relevant for understanding inner psychological resources.

The Ego-Resiliency Scale (ER89)

The Ego-Resiliency Scale measures psychological resilience with a focus on how people flexibly adapt to environmental demands. Developed by Block and Kremen, it emphasises the ability to modify coping strategies based on situational demands. This scale is particularly valuable for understanding behavioural flexibility and adaptability. It’s often used in research settings and provides insight into how people adjust their responses to different challenges.

The Dispositional Resilience Scale (Hardiness)

Developed by Kobasa and based on hardiness theory, the Dispositional Resilience Scale measures three dimensions: commitment (feeling engaged with life), control (believing you influence outcomes), and challenge (viewing difficulties as opportunities). This scale is particularly useful in organizational and occupational health contexts, as hardiness has been shown to predict better health outcomes under stress. It’s especially relevant for understanding how people approach adversity as a growth opportunity.

The Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ)

While not exclusively a resilience scale, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire measures an important component of resilience—sense of purpose and meaning. Just 2 items long, it quickly assesses whether people feel their lives have purpose and whether they’re actively engaged in finding meaning. Research increasingly shows that meaning and purpose are fundamental to psychological resilience, making this a valuable complementary measure.

The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)

The Perceived Stress Scale measures the degree to which situations are appraised as stressful. While it measures stress rather than resilience directly, it’s often used alongside resilience measures to understand how resilience mediates the impact of stress. High stress with high resilience suggests strong adaptive capacity.

Beyond Scales: Alternative Ways to Evaluate Resilience

While self-report scales are valuable, they represent only one way to assess resilience. Modern approaches to understanding resilience increasingly incorporate physiological, behavioral, and contextual measures.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV): A Physiological Window into Resilience

One of the most promising biomarkers for resilience is Heart Rate Variability (HRV), which measures the variation in time intervals between heartbeats. The autonomic nervous system—which controls heart rate—has two branches: the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for “fight or flight” responses) and the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for “rest and digest” responses).

What HRV tells us about resilience:

A healthy, resilient nervous system can quickly shift between these two states. When facing a stressor, the heart rate increases and HRV may decrease (sympathetic activation). However, a resilient person can recover back to baseline quickly once the stressor passes. Low HRV is often associated with chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular disease. Higher HRV generally indicates better capacity to handle stress and emotional regulation.

How HRV is measured:

HRV can be measured through wearable devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers, or through more sophisticated medical-grade equipment. Measurements can be taken at rest, during stress, or during recovery phases. Common HRV metrics include the Root Mean Square of Successive Differences (RMSSD) and the Standard Deviation of Normal-to-Normal intervals (SDNN).

Advantages of HRV measurement:

• Objective physiological data, not subject to self-report bias
• Real-time monitoring over extended periods
• Accessible through consumer wearables
• Direct insight into nervous system function
• Can predict stress levels and recovery capacity

Limitations of HRV:

• Requires baseline measurements for meaningful interpretation
• Influenced by fitness level, age, and other physiological factors
• Variability between individuals and measurement conditions
• Not universally standardised across devices

Cortisol Testing

Cortisol, often called the stress hormone, is released by the adrenal glands in response to stress. A resilient person typically shows a healthy cortisol rhythm—higher in the morning and declining throughout the day. Chronic stress often disrupts this pattern, leading to elevated cortisol levels or a flattened curve. Cortisol can be measured through saliva, blood, or urine samples, often collected across different times of day. This provides objective evidence of how well someone’s body is managing stress.

Immune Function Assessment

Chronic stress and poor resilience are associated with suppressed immune function. Measuring markers like white blood cell counts, antibody levels, or inflammatory markers (like C-reactive protein) can provide insight into how stress is affecting the body. People with better resilience tend to maintain stronger immune function even under stress.

Neuroimaging and Brain Structure

Advanced research uses neuroimaging (fMRI, PET scans) to examine brain structure and function in resilient versus non-resilient individuals. Research shows that resilient people tend to have certain structural advantages—particularly in areas related to emotion regulation and threat processing—though this is primarily a research tool rather than a clinical assessment.

Behavioral Indicators and Observational Measures

Sometimes the best assessment of resilience comes through observing behaviour over time:

• Recovery time from setbacks – How quickly does the person regain equilibrium after a disappointment?
• Problem-solving approach – Does the person become paralysed or actively seek solutions?
• Social engagement – Do they maintain or seek social connections during stress?
• Self-care maintenance – Do they continue healthy habits or let them slide during difficulties?
• Meaning-making – Can they articulate lessons or growth from challenges?

Performance Under Pressure

Real-world assessment of resilience comes through observing how people perform during actual challenging situations—whether in athletics, academics, professional settings, or personal crises. How someone responds when the stakes are real provides valuable data about their actual resilience, not just their perception of it.

Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA)

Modern technology allows for Ecological Momentary Assessment, where individuals report on their stress, coping, and well-being multiple times per day through smartphone apps. This captures resilience as it unfolds in real life, rather than relying on retrospective recall. EMA provides a dynamic, real-time picture of how someone navigates daily stressors.

Qualitative Narratives

How people tell the story of their challenges reveals much about their resilience. A resilient person typically:

• Maintains agency and personal responsibility
• Identifies meaning or growth in adversity
• Acknowledges support systems
• Shows emotional complexity (not denying difficulty, but not overwhelmed by it)
• Demonstrates learning and adaptation

Narrative approaches, used in therapy and coaching, provide rich qualitative data about resilience that numbers alone cannot capture.

Combining Multiple Measures: A Comprehensive Approach

The most robust assessment of resilience often combines multiple approaches:

A comprehensive resilience profile might include the CD-RISC for self-perceived resilience, HRV monitoring for physiological stress capacity, cortisol testing for biological stress response, and behavioural observation or narrative exploration for real-world manifestations. Organisations and clinicians increasingly recognise that resilience is multifaceted and best understood through multiple lenses.

For example, someone might score high on the CD-RISC but show low HRV, suggesting they believe they’re coping well but their nervous system is chronically activated. This mismatch reveals important information—perhaps they’re using psychological coping strategies effectively but need interventions targeting physiological relaxation, like breathwork or meditation.

Building on Your Score

If you’ve taken the CD-RISC or another resilience measure and want to strengthen your resilience, remember that it’s not a fixed measurement. Here are evidence-based approaches grounded in resilience research:

Develop strong relationships – Social connection is one of the most powerful resilience factors. Invest in genuine relationships and community involvement.

Practice mindfulness and meditation – These build emotional regulation and stress tolerance while improving HRV and reducing cortisol levels. Even brief daily practice shows measurable benefits.

Find meaning and purpose – Connect to values and goals that matter to you. Research consistently shows that meaning is foundational to resilience.

Build problem-solving skills – Develop practical strategies for handling challenges. The more tools you have, the more resilient you become.

Practice self-compassion – Treat yourself with kindness during difficult times rather than harsh self-criticism, which undermines resilience.

Maintain physical health – Exercise, sleep, and nutrition support both psychological and physiological resilience. Regular movement particularly improves HRV.

Develop a growth mindset – View challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, not threats to your identity.

Manage stress proactively – Use techniques like breathwork, progressive muscle relaxation, or time in nature to regulate your nervous system before you’re in crisis.

Seek support – Resilience isn’t about doing everything alone. Therapy, coaching, or peer support accelerate resilience development.

Challenge catastrophic thinking – Build cognitive flexibility by questioning automatic negative thoughts and considering alternative perspectives.

Conclusion

The Connor Davidson Resilience Scale offers a valuable snapshot of your current adaptive capacity. Whether you’re using it in a clinical setting, as part of personal development work, or within an organisation, it provides concrete data about resilience—a quality that has never been more important in our complex, fast-changing world.

But resilience assessment extends far beyond a single questionnaire. By understanding the full landscape of resilience measures and incorporating physiological markers like HRV, stress hormones, and behavioural observation, we gain a much richer understanding of how resilient we truly are and where we can focus our development efforts.

The most important takeaway: resilience isn’t about never falling down or never feeling stressed. It’s about having the strength, flexibility, and resources to navigate challenges, recover from setbacks, and ultimately thrive. And the good news? That’s something we can all develop—with the right tools, support, and commitment.

References

Connor and Davidson (2003) Development of a new resilience scale: the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) (click here)