Resilience and psychopathology in trauma-exposed Australian Veterans

Abstract

Introduction: Resilience refers to the ability to cope with and adapt to significant adversity. It is a vital psychological construct among military personnel, who are often exposed to multiple stressors. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) is one of the most widely used resilience scales; however, the factor structure is inconsistent when used with military populations and has not been assessed in an Australian military population. The aim of this study was to explore the factor structure of the CD-RISC and investigate the relationship between resilience and psychopathology in an Australian Veteran sample. Methods: Australian trauma-exposed Veterans (N = 265) completed the CD-RISC, along with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21. Exploratory factor analysis methods were used to explore the factor structure of the CD-RISC. Correlations and regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between resilience and psychological health. Results: A four-factor solution was proposed after removal of four poorly performing items. These factors were Self-Efficacy, Adaptability, Determination, and Tolerance of Negative Affect. The revised 21-item CD-RISC demonstrated excellent internal consistency, and regression analyses revealed a negative relationship between resilience factor scores and psychopathology. Compared with other resilience factors, Self-Efficacy contributed the largest proportion of unique variance to posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and stress symptoms. Discussion: These findings provide preliminary support for the use of the revised 21-item CD-RISC as a reliable and valid measure of resilience in an Australian Veteran population, and highlight the potential benefit of cultivating self-efficacy in targeted resilience-building programs. Show more