Resilience (CD-RISC)

What the CD-RISC measures

Developed by Kathryn Connor and Jonathan Davidson as a measure of stress coping ability, the CD-RISC views resilience not merely as the absence of pathology (like depression or anxiety), but as an active, quantifiable characteristic. It was heavily tested against clinical populations (e.g., PTSD survivors) and normative populations to prove that resilience can be modulated and improved through clinical intervention.

The dimensions it assesses

• Adaptability: Flexibility when faced with unexpected changes.
• Stress Tolerance: Ability to maintain focus and composure under pressure.
• Self-Efficacy: Belief in one's own ability to achieve goals despite obstacles.
• Tenacity: Refusal to give up when faced with failure.

What to do with your result

1. For Low Resilience (Scores < 20): Implement "Micro-Resilience" training. This involves setting extremely small, guaranteed-to-succeed goals daily to rebuild a baseline of self-efficacy.
2. Cognitive Reframing: Teach the individual to separate their identity from failure. Replace "I failed because I am incompetent" with "I failed because the approach was wrong."
3. Somatic Regulation: High-stress reactivity severely damages resilience. Recommend box breathing (4-4-4-4) to lower parasympathetic nervous system arousal during acute stress spikes.

Common questions about the CD-RISC

What does the CD-RISC measure?

Measurement of psychological resilience: the ability to cope with stress, overcome adversity, and bounce back from trauma.

Can the CD-RISC diagnose me?

No. Resilience (CD-RISC) is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic tool. It can flag that something may need a closer look. It cannot tell you what is causing it. Grief, burnout, a thyroid problem, medication side effects, chronic pain and months of bad sleep are not among its questions, and any of them can move a score. Telling those apart is what a professional assessment is for.

Is this CD-RISC test really free?

Yes. No account, no email address, no payment. Psychometrics Today is funded by donations rather than advertising, which is also what allows us to publish instruments whose authors permit free but non-commercial use.

Are my answers stored or shared?

No. Your answers are scored inside your browser and never sent to us. There is no database of responses, because we never receive any. Closing the tab erases them, which is why results cannot be recovered afterwards.

How often should I retake the CD-RISC?

Most of these questionnaires ask about the past one to two weeks, so retaking sooner than that mostly measures the same period twice. Every two to four weeks is a reasonable rhythm if you are tracking change. A direction of travel over several weeks tells a doctor far more than any single score.

How accurate is the CD-RISC?

Screening questionnaires are good at flagging that something merits attention and poor at establishing what it is. This one is sensitive to how you feel on the day you take it, and many instruments were validated on narrow populations whose cut-offs may not transfer cleanly to everyone. The references at the foot of this page are the primary sources.

Why can I not take the CD-RISC here?

Licensed; a fee applies even for many research uses. We will not reproduce a questionnaire we have no right to reproduce, so this page explains what it measures instead. The Brief Resilience Scale (Smith et al.) is free for research use.