The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) is a unique 6-item measure that specifically assesses bounce-back ability from adversity rather than broader resilience-promoting factors, taking only 2-3 minutes to complete with strong reliability (α = 0.80-0.91).
Scoring involves reverse-coding three items and calculating a mean score (1.0-5.0 range), with scores below 3.0 indicating low resilience that may benefit from intervention, 3.0-4.30 indicating normal resilience, and above 4.31 indicating high resilience.
The BRS demonstrates robust validity across clinical, health, organizational, and cross-cultural contexts, predicting important outcomes including physical health, mental health recovery, stress management, and treatment response with effect sizes ranging from 0.20 to 0.60.
Introduction
The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) is a concise 6-item measure specifically designed to assess an individual’s ability to bounce back or recover from stress, adversity, illness, or other difficult life circumstances. Developed by Smith and colleagues (2008), the BRS is unique among resilience measures because it focuses specifically on resilience as the ability to “bounce back” from adversity rather than measuring the broader constellation of positive characteristics that may promote resilience.
Resilience as Bounce-Back Ability
The BRS conceptualizes resilience as the basic ability to recover from and adapt to significant adversity, stress, or trauma. This definition emphasizes the dynamic process of returning to baseline functioning or achieving positive adaptation following challenging circumstances. Unlike other resilience measures that assess protective factors or positive traits, the BRS directly measures the core resilience process itself.
Distinguishing Resilience from Related Constructs
The BRS was developed to address the concern that many “resilience” measures actually assess factors that may promote resilience (such as optimism, social support, or coping skills) rather than resilience itself. By focusing specifically on bounce-back ability, the BRS provides a more precise measure of the resilience process, making it particularly valuable for research and clinical applications where the specific ability to recover from adversity is of primary interest.
Core Components of Bounce-Back Resilience
The BRS assesses resilience through several interconnected aspects:
Recovery ability – capacity to return to normal functioning after setbacks
Adaptability – ability to adjust and cope with difficult circumstances
Bounce-back speed – how quickly one recovers from adversity
Resilient responses – tendency to respond adaptively to stress and challenges
Stress resistance – ability to maintain functioning despite ongoing difficulties
🔄 Core Process: The BRS is the only resilience measure that focuses specifically on the “bounce back” process rather than resilience-promoting factors.
Copyright and Usage Responsibility: Check that you have the proper rights and permissions to use this assessment tool in your research. This may include purchasing appropriate licenses, obtaining permissions from authors/copyright holders, or ensuring your usage falls within fair use guidelines.
Proper Attribution: When using or referencing this scale, cite the original development:
Smith, B. W., Dalen, J., Wiggins, K., Tooley, E., Christopher, P., & Bernard, J. (2008). The brief resilience scale: Assessing the ability to bounce back. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 15(3), 194-200.
Smith, B. W., Dalen, J., Wiggins, K., Tooley, E., Christopher, P., & Bernard, J. (2008). The brief resilience scale: Assessing the ability to bounce back. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 15(3), 194-200.
Validation Research:
Smith, B. W., et al. (2013). The role of resilience and purpose in life in habituation to heat and cold pain. The Journal of Pain, 14(11), 1241-1249.
Lai, J. C., & Yue, X. (2014). Using the brief resilience scale to assess Chinese people’s ability to bounce back from stress. SAGE Open, 4(4), 1-9.
Cross-Cultural Studies:
Rodríguez-Rey, R., et al. (2020). Psychological impact and associated factors during the initial stage of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic among the general population in Spain. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1540.
A kangaroo joyfully bouncing on a trampoline with its joey, symbolizing the ability to bounce back – the core idea of the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the BRS measure?
The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) measures an individual's ability to bounce back or recover from stress, adversity, illness, or difficult life circumstances. Unlike other resilience measures, it focuses specifically on the recovery process itself rather than protective factors that promote resilience.
How long does the BRS take to complete?
The BRS takes approximately 2-3 minutes to complete. With only 6 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, it provides a quick yet comprehensive assessment of bounce-back ability, making it highly practical for both research and clinical settings.
Is the BRS free to use?
The BRS is available for research and clinical use. Researchers should cite the original development article by Smith et al. (2008) when using the scale. For commercial applications or large-scale implementations, it's advisable to contact the scale developers for permission and guidance.
How is the BRS scored?
To score the BRS, reverse score items 2, 4, and 6 (subtract from 6), then sum all responses and divide by 6 to obtain a mean score ranging from 1.0 to 5.0. Higher scores indicate greater resilience, with scores above 4.31 indicating high resilience, 3.00-4.30 normal resilience, and below 3.00 low resilience.
What's the difference between BRS and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale?
The BRS focuses specifically on bounce-back ability from adversity, while the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) measures broader resilience-promoting factors including personal competence, trust, acceptance of change, control, and spiritual influences. The BRS is shorter (6 items vs. 25) and provides a more focused assessment of recovery capacity.
How reliable is the BRS?
The BRS demonstrates strong reliability with internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) ranging from 0.80 to 0.91 across diverse populations. Test-retest reliability is good at r = 0.69 (1-month) and r = 0.62 (3-month intervals). The scale maintains consistent reliability across cultures and clinical populations.
