Brief Resilience Scale [+PDF & Free Tool]
The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) is a tool designed to measure an individual’s ability to bounce back or recover from stress and adversity. Understanding your resilience level can provide valuable insights into how you handle stress and setbacks, and can guide you in developing strategies to enhance your ability to recover from difficulties.
The BRS includes 6 items, with items 1, 3, and 5 worded positively and items 2, 4, and 6 worded negatively. To score the BRS, you need to reverse code items 2, 4, and 6 before calculating the average score of all six items. The scale uses a Likert format where 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, and 5 = Strongly Agree.
Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) Quiz
Instructions: Check one box for each statement to indicate how much you disagree or agree with each of the statements.
Download The Brief Resilience Scale
Why is Resilience Important
Resilience is a crucial area of research in both behavioral and medical sciences, particularly in understanding recovery from trauma, including adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). A person’s level of resilience can significantly influence how they are affected by these experiences, explaining why the impact of ACEs varies widely from one individual to another.
When reflecting on your history of trauma and adverse experiences, it’s vital to consider your resilience level. Despite the connections between trauma and increased risks of long-term negative health outcomes, resilience offers hope. It encompasses “protective factors” — qualities or conditions that enable individuals to recover and adapt effectively.
Resilience is not fixed; it can be developed and strengthened at any stage of life, regardless of past experiences. Building resilience is a deeply personal journey, influenced by individual experiences, cultural and spiritual identity, and personal values. A person-centered approach is essential for fostering resilience, focusing on what has historically worked for you, what resilience means to you, and how to integrate these insights into your personal growth.
Discover Your Path to Greater Resilience with Sofia Wellness!
At Sofia Wellness, our counsellors are dedicated to helping you build and strengthen your resilience. Our personalised counselling and therapy sessions are designed to address the unique challenges you face, providing you with the tools and support needed to enhance your ability to bounce back from adversity. With our ongoing support and follow-up, we ensure you stay on track and continue to grow.
Key References
Smith, B.W., Dalen, J., Wiggins, K., Tooley, E., Christopher, P. and Bernard, J. (2008). The Brief Resilience Scale: Assessing the Ability to Bounce Back. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine,15, 194-200.
Smith, B.W., Epstein, E.E., Oritz, J.A., Christopher, P.K., & Tooley, E.M. (2013). The Foundations of Resilience: What are the critical resources for bouncing back from stress? In Prince-Embury, S. & Saklofske, D.H. (Eds.), Resilience in children, adolescents, and adults: Translating research into practice, The Springer series on human exceptionality (pp. 167-187). New York, NY: Springer.