6-item measure of the ability to bounce back or recover from stress. ≈ 1 min to complete. Free with attribution.
BRS (Brief Resilience Scale) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess 6-item measure of the ability to bounce back or recover from stress.. It is most often used for 6-item measure of the ability to bounce back or recover from stress.. The instrument contains 6 items. Typical administration time is ≈ 1 min.
Source / attribution: Free to use with citation
6-item measure of the ability to bounce back or recover from stress. BRS is part of standard practice in this setting because it provides a structured, replicable assessment that can be tracked over time and compared across patients or visits.
Like all screening or assessment instruments, BRS is a structured aid — not a diagnostic test in isolation. Results should be interpreted alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Where a score crosses an actionable threshold, the next step is typically a more detailed clinical evaluation rather than a definitive diagnosis.
Answer all 6 items below to see your BRS score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 5-point scale (1–5). Your score updates live as you answer.
All scoring runs in your browser. No data is sent anywhere — close the tab and the answers are gone.
Sum all 6 items scored 1-5. Total range 6-30. Higher scores = greater resilience.
Scoring notes: Sum all 6 items scored 1-5. Total range 6-30. Higher scores = greater resilience.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 6–18 | Low resilience | Resilience training |
| 19–23 | Normal resilience | Maintain |
| 24–30 | High resilience | Maintain |
This is an illustrative walkthrough, not a real patient. Follow the same four steps with your own answers — or use the live calculator at the top of this page.
Read each question and choose the response that best fits. Each response has a number next to it — that number is the item's score. The example below uses illustrative answers.
| # | Item | Example response | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I tend to bounce back quickly after hard times | Neutral | 3 |
| 2 | I have a hard time making it through stressful events | Disagree | 4 |
| 3 | It does not take me long to recover from a stressful event | Neutral | 3 |
| 4 | It is hard for me to snap back when something bad happens | Disagree | 4 |
| 5 | I usually come through difficult times with little trouble | Neutral | 3 |
| 6 | I tend to take a long time to get over setbacks in my life | Disagree | 4 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
3 + 4 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 4 = 21
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 21 falls between 19 and 23 → Normal resilience
Normal resilience. Maintain
A score is one input alongside history and examination. BRS supports clinical judgment — it does not replace it.
Psychometric figures are drawn from the validation literature and may vary across clinical populations and translations.
If BRS doesn't fit your context, related instruments in coping include:
| Scale | Measures | Items | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brief-COPE | 28-item measure of effective and ineffective coping strategies during stressful events. | — | ≈ 5 min |
| CD-RISC | 25-item measure of resilience to stress with five factor structure. | 25 | ≈ 5 min |
| CD-RISC-10 | 10-item brief version of CD-RISC for screening resilience. | 10 | ≈ 2 min |
| PHQ-9 | Severity of depression | 9 | ≈ 3 minutes |
| GAD-7 | Severity of generalized anxiety | 7 | ≈ 2 minutes |
| AUDIT | 10-item WHO screening tool for hazardous alcohol consumption and dependence. | 10 | ≈ 3 min |
| CHA2DS2-VASc | Annual stroke risk in non-valvular atrial fibrillation | 8 | — |
| Glasgow Coma Scale | Level of consciousness after head injury | 3 | — |
BRS (Brief Resilience Scale) is a validated instrument that assesses 6-item measure of the ability to bounce back or recover from stress.. Its primary clinical use is 6-item measure of the ability to bounce back or recover from stress..
BRS typically takes ≈ 1 min to administer. Time can vary slightly depending on whether it is self-administered or clinician-led.
BRS contains 6 items. Items are summed to produce a total score.
Scores of 24–30 fall in the "High resilience" band. Maintain
Scores of 6–18 fall in the "Low resilience" band. Resilience training
BRS has reported Cronbach's α of 0.93 in validation samples and test–retest reliability of 0.84. Unidimensional resilience measure; predicts well-being outcomes.
BRS is free to use with attribution. Free to use with citation
Smith, B. W., Dalen, J., Wiggins, K., Tooley, E., Christopher, P., & Bernard, J. (2008). The Brief Resilience Scale. Assessment, 15(2), 194-200.
No. BRS is a structured assessment aid. A score is one input alongside history, examination, and clinical context. Treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
BRS is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: