Validation of the Chinese version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 among young people in Hong Kong.

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 (CD-RISC-10) in a representative sample of young people in Hong Kong. Measurement invariance across age and sex was assessed to ensure valid subgroup comparisons.

Methods: Participants were recruited between May 2019 and April 2022 using stratified multistage cluster sampling. They were asked to complete a battery of self-report measures to collect data related to sociodemographics, childhood adversities, personality traits, and various psychological constructs. Each participant also underwent a structured diagnostic screening for lifetime and current psychiatric disorders, which was repeated 1 year later during longitudinal follow-up. Resilience was measured using the Chinese version of the CD-RISC-10. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Chinese versions of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire and the seven-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale, respectively. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. Reliability was assessed using McDonald's omega (ω). Measurement invariance and discriminant validity were tested. Predictive validity for the 12-month onset of major depressive episode and generalised anxiety disorder was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic analysis.

Results: In total, 3175 participants (41.9% male) aged 15 to 24 years completed the diagnostic interview. At the 1-year follow-up, 1766 (55.6%) participants completed reassessment. Only those without a lifetime history of depression or anxiety at baseline were included in the predictive validity analysis. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a two-factor structure (comparative fit index = 0.962, root mean square error of approximation = 0.058). Internal consistency was acceptable to excellent (ω = 0.767-0.873). Metric invariance was supported across age and sex; scalar and strict invariance were not fully established. Discriminant validity analyses confirmed that resilience was empirically distinct from depression and anxiety. Predictive validity was low; the area under the curve was 0.626 for major depressive episode and 0.632 for generalised anxiety disorder. The Youden index values were modest, indicating limited predictive utility of the CD-RISC-10.

Conclusions: The Chinese version of the CD-RISC-10 is reliable and valid for resilience assessment among adolescents and young adults in Hong Kong. However, it has limited capacity to predict future psychiatric diagnoses. These findings highlight the importance of a broader assessment framework and tailored interventions based on sex and developmental stage.