The Research Desk
The Brazilian version of the Resilience Evaluation Scale effectively measures resilience, linking higher resilience to lower psychological distress.
Resilience Evaluation Scale: translation and psychometric validation in Brazilian Portuguese.
- Resilience
- Growth
Coimbra, B., Brunnet, A., Kristensen, C., Olff, M., Hoeboer, C.
In plain language
This study focuses on the translation and validation of the Resilience Evaluation Scale (RES) for use in Brazil. Resilience is an important psychological trait that helps individuals cope with potentially traumatic events, which are common in Brazil. The researchers translated the RES into Brazilian Portuguese and tested its reliability and validity among Brazilian participants.
They found that the Brazilian version of the RES retained the original scale's structure, which measures two aspects of resilience: Self-Efficacy and Self-Confidence. The scale showed good internal consistency and was negatively correlated with psychological distress, suggesting that higher resilience as measured by the RES is associated with lower levels of distress.
Key findings
- The Brazilian RES maintained the original two-factor structure: Self-Efficacy and Self-Confidence.
- The scale demonstrated good internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of .87.
- RES scores were negatively associated with psychological distress, indicating that higher resilience is linked to lower distress.
- A large majority of participants reported exposure to potentially traumatic events, highlighting the relevance of resilience measurement in this population.
- The model fit indices for the Brazilian RES were acceptable, supporting its use in the general population.
Why it matters for flourishing
This research is significant for human wellbeing as it provides a validated tool to measure resilience in Brazil, a country where exposure to traumatic events is common. Understanding and measuring resilience can help in developing interventions to improve mental health and adaptive coping strategies.
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Individuals and practitioners in Brazil can use the Brazilian RES to assess resilience levels, which can inform mental health strategies and interventions aimed at enhancing resilience and reducing psychological distress. This could be particularly beneficial in settings where people are recovering from traumatic experiences.