Reliability and validity of the novel Italian version of the 14-item Resilience Scale (RS-14) in adults

BACKGROUND: The aims of this explore the psychometric properties of the novel Italian version of the 14-item Resilience Scale (RS-14) and to assess the relationship between RS-14, mood and quality of life. METHOD: The original English version of the RS-14 was translated into Italian, and the Italian version was confirmed with back-translation. Three-hundred healthy volunteers (M = 122) aged > 18 years, completed the RS-14 as well as different scales to measure depression, anxiety and quality of life. Statistical analyses were used to measure the reliability, validity and key factors of RS-14. We measured the differences in socio-demographic subgroups, the relationship between mood and RS-14 score and the impact of RS-14 on mental health. RESULTS: The RS-14 showed good acceptability, reliability and validity. Factor analysis indicated a two-factor structure: ‘Self-confidence’ and ‘Self-control’, with the former having a more significant impact on mental health. The RS-14 score was not significantly different for sex, age and education, but there was significant difference for marital status. Lower resilience correlated with higher levels of anxiety and depression and with lower quality of life. CONCLUSION: We propose the novel Italian version of the RS-14 which has good reliability and validity. Our results stress the influence of resilience on mental health.