25-item measure of resilience to stress with five factor structure. ≈ 5 min to complete. Free with attribution.
CD-RISC (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale) is a validated clinical instrument used to assess 25-item measure of resilience to stress with five factor structure.. It is most often used for 25-item measure of resilience to stress with five factor structure.. The instrument contains 25 items. Typical administration time is ≈ 5 min.
Source / attribution: Copyrighted; free for research use
25-item measure of resilience to stress with five factor structure. CD-RISC 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, CD-RISC 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 25 items below to see your CD-RISC score and interpretation.
Each item is scored on a 5-point scale (0–4). 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 25 items scored 0-4. Total range 0-100. Higher scores = greater resilience.
Scoring notes: Sum all 25 items scored 0-4. Total range 0-100. Higher scores = greater resilience.
The cutoffs below are drawn from the published validation literature. Always interpret in clinical context.
| Score range | Band | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 0–50 | Low resilience | Resilience intervention |
| 51–75 | Moderate resilience | Monitor |
| 76–100 | 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 am able to adapt when changes occur | Often true | 3 |
| 2 | I have at least one close and secure relationship that helps me when I am stressed | Sometimes true | 2 |
| 3 | When there are no clear solutions to my problems, sometimes fate or a higher power can help | Often true | 3 |
| 4 | I can deal with whatever comes my way | Sometimes true | 2 |
| 5 | Past successes give me confidence in dealing with new challenges | Often true | 3 |
| 6 | I try to see the humorous side of things when faced with problems | Sometimes true | 2 |
| 7 | Having to cope with stress can make me stronger | Often true | 3 |
| 8 | I tend to bounce back after illness, injury, or other hardships | Sometimes true | 2 |
| 9 | Good or bad, I believe most things happen for a reason | Often true | 3 |
| 10 | I give my best effort no matter what the outcome may be | Sometimes true | 2 |
| 11 | I believe I can achieve my goals, even if there are obstacles | Often true | 3 |
| 12 | Even when things look hopeless, I do not give up | Sometimes true | 2 |
| 13 | During times of stress or crisis, I know where to turn for help | Often true | 3 |
| 14 | Under pressure, I stay focused and think clearly | Sometimes true | 2 |
| 15 | I prefer to take the lead in problem-solving rather than letting others make all the decisions | Often true | 3 |
| 16 | I am not easily discouraged by failure | Sometimes true | 2 |
| 17 | I think of myself as a strong person when dealing with life's challenges and difficulties | Often true | 3 |
| 18 | I can make unpopular or difficult decisions that affect other people, if it is necessary | Sometimes true | 2 |
| 19 | I am able to handle unpleasant or painful feelings like sadness, fear, and anger | Often true | 3 |
| 20 | In dealing with life's problems, sometimes you have to act on a hunch without knowing why | Sometimes true | 2 |
| 21 | I have a strong sense of purpose in life | Often true | 3 |
| 22 | I feel in control of my life | Sometimes true | 2 |
| 23 | I like challenges | Often true | 3 |
| 24 | I work to attain my goals no matter what roadblocks I encounter along the way | Sometimes true | 2 |
| 25 | I take pride in my achievements | Often true | 3 |
Add up all the item scores you noted in Step 1.
3 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 3 + 2 + … (items 9–25 sum to 43) = 63
Find the row in the interpretation table whose range contains your total:
Total = 63 falls between 51 and 75 → Moderate resilience
Moderate resilience. Monitor
A score is one input alongside history and examination. CD-RISC 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 CD-RISC 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 |
| BRS | 6-item measure of the ability to bounce back or recover from stress. | 6 | ≈ 1 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 | — |
CD-RISC (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale) is a validated instrument that assesses resilience to stress with five factor structure. It is designed for clinicians, medical students, evidence-synthesis researchers. It takes about 5 min to complete, and the 25 items are summed to produce a total score.
CD-RISC typically takes about 5 min to administer. The exact duration varies a little depending on whether it is self-administered or completed with a clinician. Its brief format is part of what makes it practical for routine clinical use and for repeat administration when tracking change over time.
CD-RISC contains 25 items. Item scores are summed to produce the total. Scores run from 0 to 100, grouped into 3 interpretation bands from ‘Low resilience’ up to ‘High resilience’.
On the CD-RISC (total score 0–100), scores of 76–100 fall in the ‘High resilience’ band — interpreted as: Maintain. The full ladder is: 0–50 — Low resilience: Resilience intervention.; 51–75 — Moderate resilience: Monitor.; 76–100 — High resilience: Maintain. A higher score reflects a more severe presentation, and crossing a cutoff is a prompt to step up assessment or care — but these bands are screening thresholds, not diagnoses.
Scores of 0–50 fall in the ‘Low resilience’ band: Resilience intervention. A low score is reassuring but does not by itself rule out the underlying condition — if symptoms or clinical suspicion persist, reassess over time or use a complementary evaluation rather than relying on the number alone.
CD-RISC has reported Cronbach's α of 0.89 in validation samples and test–retest reliability of 0.87. Validated in clinical and community populations. In practical terms, a Cronbach’s α around 0.89 indicates good internal consistency (the items hang together well), and a test–retest reliability of 0.87 means scores are strongly stable when the scale is repeated without real clinical change.
CD-RISC is free to use with attribution — clinical, educational, and research use is permitted provided the original source is credited. If you publish results or reproduce the scale, include the citation to the source paper.
Connor, K. M., & Davidson, J. R. (2003). Development of a new resilience scale. Depression and Anxiety, 18(2), 76-82. This is the original publication for the CD-RISC — the reference to cite when reporting results.
No. CD-RISC is a structured assessment aid, not a diagnostic test. Its proper role is clinical assessment of resilience to stress with five factor structure — it standardizes assessment and flags who needs closer evaluation, but the result must be weighed alongside history, examination, and clinical context. When a score conflicts with your clinical impression, clinical judgment takes precedence; treatment decisions should never rest on a screening score alone.
CD-RISC is supported by the following peer-reviewed sources: