FH Personal Resilience Scale (updated August 2012)
While organizations have focused on the livelihoods elements of resilience in food security and
relief projects, there is increasing evidence there are personal attributes and ways of thinking
(mindset / worldview) that influence the degree to which people take advantage of
opportunities made available to them. For example, in the IFPRI study, Ethiopia: The Path to
Self-Resiliency, researchers found that respondents in Ethiopia who believed success was a
matter of destiny/luck borrowed less when given option to choose the amount that they could
borrow, and were less likely to make long-term investments. A meta-analysis of 17 studies1
looking at stunting and underweight and depression in Africa (4), South America/Caribbean (6),
Asia (7) found that depression in women may be a risk factor for poor growth in young children.
Children of depressed mothers are 41% more likely to have a stunted child and the authors
concluded that if infants were entirely unexposed to maternal depressive symptoms, 23% to
29% fewer children would be underweight or stunted.
In order to measure changes in personal resilience fostered by changes in mindset/worldview,
depression, and social support seeking, FH will use a Personal Resilience Scale (PRC) at
baseline and follow-up. This scale will combine questions on attitudes and beliefs used in other
previously tested metrics, such as a shortened version of the Generalized Self-efficacy
Scale2, a shortened version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist Depression Scale (HSCLD)3 which has been used in developing countries, and the (Social) Support Seeking
subscale of the Berlin Social-Support Scales.4 Four of the six items in the depression scale
are also found in the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Revised (CESD10) Depression
Scale. The CESD10, HSCL-D, GSE, and Social Support Seeking scales have been validated in
multiple contexts.
FH Personal Resilience Scale, Part I: Generalized Self-Efficacy
Say: Now I am going to read to you several statements. I want you to tell me if you agree
or disagree with each one. Then I will ask you the degree to which you agree or disagree.
For each statement below, read the statement and then ask the person if the
AGREE or DISAGREE with it. If they Agree, ask, “Do you agree a little or agree a lot?”
If they Disagree, ask, “Do you disagree a little or disagree a lot?” Circle only one
response for each statement.
Belief
Strongly
Strongly
Disagree Agree
Disagree
Agree
Generalized Self-Efficacy
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
I can always manage to solve difficult problems if
I try hard enough.
If someone opposes me, I can find the means and
ways to get what I want.
When I am confronted with a problem, I can find
several solutions.
I can solve most problems if I invest the
necessary effort.
I can remain calm when facing difficulties.
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
Generalized Self-Efficacy Score
(Add all circled numbers.)
1
2
3
4
Total Score: _____ points
Surkan et al. Bull WHO 287:607-615D, 2011. See http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/8/11-088187.pdf
See http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/health/selfscal.htm
See http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/8/59/
See https://docs.google.com/a/fh.org/viewer?url=http://userpage.fuberlin.de/~health/support/schwarzer_knoll_rieckmann2004.pdf and http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~health/soc_e.htm
FH Personal Resilience Scale, Part II: Depression
The following statements describe how people sometimes feel about
themselves. For each question, please indicate how often you have felt this way
during the past week. (Circle number of best answer for each statement.)
Circle the appropriate cell after
reading the question below
a. Over the past week, on how many
days did you feel very sad or
depressed?
b. Over the past week, on how many
days did you feel fearful?
c. Over the past week, on how many
days did you feel guilty [like a bad
person]?
d. Over the past week, on how many
days did you feel tired all the
time?
e. Over the past week, on how many
days did you feel worthless?
f. Over the past week, on how many
nights did you have trouble falling
asleep or staying asleep?
Rarely or
none of the
time
(0 days a
week)
Some or a
little of the
time (1-2
days a
week)
Occasionally or
a moderate
amount of time
(3-4 days a
week)
Most or all
of the time
(5-7 days
a week)
4
3
2
1
4
3
2
1
4
3
2
1
4
3
2
1
4
3
2
1
4
3
2
1
Score
(Put
numbered
circled
here)
Depression Score, inverted (Add all circled numbers.)
FH Personal Resilience Scale, Part III: Social Support Seeking For each statement below,
read the statement and then ask the person if the AGREE or DISAGREE with it. If they Agree,
ask, “Do you agree a little or agree a lot?” If they Disagree, ask, “Do you disagree a little or disagree a
lot?” Circle only one response for each statement.
Belief
a. In critical situations, I prefer to ask others for their
advice.
b. Whenever I am down, I look for someone to cheer me
up again.
c. When I am worried, I reach out to someone to talk to.
d. If I do not know how to handle a situation, I ask others
what they would do.
e. Whenever I need help, I ask for it.
Support Seeking Score
(Add all circled numbers.)
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly
Agree
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
Total Score: _____ points
Personal Resilience Score:
The PRS is calculated by adding together the shortened Generalized Self-efficacy Score, the
shortened CESD-R Depression Score, and shortened Social Support Seeking Score and
dividing by 64, expressing as a percentage. (Higher is better.) (For each question for which
data is missing, the denominator is reduced by four points.)