New norm values of the brief resilience scale (BRS) from the German general population with new post-COVID-19 data

Abstract

Background: The concept of psychological resilience has spurred extensive research across various fields, with the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) emerging as a concise tool to measure an individual’s ability to rebound from stress. It has been translated into multiple languages, including German, but the validation of the German version occurred prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to examine new norm values and psychometric properties of the BRS. Methods: Norm values, the factor structure, reliability and validity of the BRS were examined using data from a representative survey of the German general population (N = 2522). Results: The results indicated that the method-factor model showed the best fit, suggesting a nuanced understanding of resilience beyond a single-factor approach. The BRS demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity based on both latent and manifest correlations. Moreover, the study revealed increasing postpandemic resilience scores. Con