CD-RISC: Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale

The CD-RISC is a 25-item validated self-report measure of resilience. Items are scored 0–4 on a frequency scale. Total score 0–100; higher scores indicate greater resilience. Population mean ≈ 80. Connor & Davidson (2003). Public domain.

What is the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale?

The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) was developed by Kathryn Connor and Jonathan Davidson (2003) as a validated, quantitative measure of resilience, the ability to thrive in the face of adversity, trauma, and significant stressors. It has become the most widely cited resilience scale in clinical research, with thousands of applications in PTSD, anxiety, depression, and general health research.

Each of the 25 items is rated on a 5-point scale (0 = Not true at all, 4 = True nearly all the time) based on how the respondent has felt over the past month. Scores are summed to yield a total score from 0 to 100, with higher scores reflecting greater resilience. The scale draws on concepts including personal competence, trust in instincts, tolerance of negative affect, positive acceptance of change, and spiritual influences.

The general population normative mean is approximately 80.4 (SD 12.8) in community samples. The CD-RISC is in the public domain and free for clinical and research use. It is a positive psychology scale, higher scores reflect a strength, not a symptom burden.

Rate how true each statement has been for you over the past month.

Educational reference only. Does not constitute a clinical assessment.

CD-RISC Score Interpretation

Connor & Davidson (2003). General population mean ≈ 80.4 (SD 12.8). Higher scores indicate greater resilience capacity.

Track Resilience Alongside Clinical Outcomes in HiBoop

CD-RISC alongside PHQ-9, PCL-5, and GAD-7, longitudinal resilience tracking to complement your symptom burden monitoring across every patient.