No abstract

This study presents a cross-cultural validation of the recently developed Resiliency Scale for Young Adults (RSYA) with a sample of 289 Canadian university students and 259 Italian university students. The RSYA demonstrated good internal consistency across the two samples and acceptable retest reliability for the Canadian sample. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor, 10-facet structure of the RSYA, and comparison of the two country samples found metric invariance. As expected, positive correlations also emerged between resiliency and trait emotional intelligence in both samples. Finally, correlations with personality variables were explored in both samples. The present findings provide further support for the RSYA as a valid and reliable measure of personal resiliency for both Canadian and Italian young adults, and for the cross-cultural generalizability of the three-factor model of personal resiliency upon which it is based.

Background With 10 to 20% of Canadian children suffering with mental illness, the importance of early identification and accurate assessment systems is clear. Unfortunately, many do not receive the mental health treatment necessary and wait-times for assessment can span up to a year. In response, the interRAI suite of assessments were designed to comprehensively assess early signs of mental health impairments in children from birth to 18 years. Methods This study assesses the psychometric properties of the Anxiety Scale and addresses the identification of anxiety within children diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD); a commonly underrepresented sample in mental health psychometric studies. Data was collected from children aged 4–18 years in three different samples. Results Results indicated reliable internal consistency and factor structure, as well as moderate-to-strong convergent validity. Conclusions We conclude that the Anxiety Scale exhibits psychometric qualities which demonstrate its clinical utility for use within a child sample, as well as in children with IDD. The findings provide support to a larger body of research which show consistent psychometric rigour of the interRAI measures.

No abstract

The transition from high school to post-secondary education presents challenges for students. Many variables have been identified as significant predictors of student achievement. Resiliency, defined as the ability to overcome challenges and adversity, may be particularly relevant during the adjustment to post-secondary education. This study assesses whether resiliency incrementally predicts student success after controlling for additional predictors. Participants were 277 undergraduate students who completed self-reports of academic skills, resiliency, personality variables, emotional intelligence (EI), and perfectionism. Students' year-end GPA was collected from the university registrar. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that resiliency, measured by sense of mastery, negatively predicted GPA after controlling for other predictors. The sense of mastery facet of self-efficacy positively predicted GPA; however, the adaptability facet was a significant negative predictor of GPA. Findings suggest that self-efficacy is a salient predictor of academic success, and that strong academic skills may serve as a protective factor for poor adaptability.