Resilience is a construct which describes the capacity of individuals to overcome, with relative success, adverse conditions or risky situations to their well-being, development, and mental health. Some researchers interpret this definition as an indication that resilience is similar to some other adjustment variables and they assume that it presents temporal stability. Resilience is frequently assessed using self-report scales, which may also present validity and reliability problems. The present paper discusses the history and the comprehensiveness of psychological resilience and the different ways of evaluating it. More specifically, the objective of this study is to present arguments against the use of self-report scales to measure resilience, because of the relational, processual and contextual character of such construct. The main instruments available in the literature are reviewed and discussed and new directions for research in the area are suggested.
Resilience; psychological assessment; measuring