How Resilient Are You?

Epstein Resilience Inventory (ERI) v. 1.0, ©2016-2022, Dr. Robert Epstein  

You are about to take the Epstein Resilience Inventory (ERI), a test of resilience designed by Dr. Robert Epstein, one of America's most distinguished research psychologists (follow on Twitter @DrREpstein).

Resilience is the ability to bounce back after suffering loss or disappointment. While some people are naturally resilient, resilience can also be broken down into a number of skills that can be measured and trained. In other words, resilience can be learned.

That's good news, because resilience is an important factor in both personal and professional success. Being resilient can not only help you bounce back; it can even help you become stronger than you were before.

The ERI is based on scientific studies that show the value that nine different types of skills have for resilience. After you complete the test, you will be given a detailed report showing how strong your skills are in these skill areas. Where your skills are weak, improving them can help you greatly in your life.

If you are conducting research and would like to collect raw data for a group that is taking this test - for a business, research study, classroom activity, or other purpose - please see our Group Testing Instructions.

Most people take about 15 minutes to complete the test. Before we get to the test itself, we will ask you a few basic questions about yourself. Demographic information is being collected for research purposes only and will be kept strictly confidential.

To make sure the scoring is accurate, be sure to fill in all the blanks!

*Required response

Group code (if applicable):

*Your initials:
*Highest Degree: None High School Associates College Masters Doctorate	*Race/Ethnicity: White Black Hispanic Asian American Indian Other	*Gender: Male Female Other	*Sexual Orientation: Straight Gay or lesbian Bisexual Other Unsure	*Parent: Yes No	*Employed: Yes No

*Your age: -Select- 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 or over

*Your location: Select UNITED STATES Algeria Afghanistan Angola Argentina Australia Austria Bangladesh Belgium Brazil Bolivia Cambodia Cameroon Canada Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Czech Republic Dem. Rep. of Congo Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Germany Ghana Greece Guatemala Hungary India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Japan Kenya Laos Lebanon Malaysia Mexico Morocco Mozambique Myanmar (Burma) Netherlands Nepal New Zealand Niger Nigeria North Korea Norway Paraguay Pakistan Palestine Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Romania Russia Saudi Arabia South Africa Singapore South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan (Rep. of China) Tanzania Thailand Turkey United Kingdom Uganda Ukraine Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen --NOT LISTED--

Other location:

*What is your marital status?
Never married  Married  Divorced  Separated  Widowed  Other 

*Have you ever been in therapy?
Yes  No

*Have you ever been hospitalized for a mental health problem?
Yes  No

*Are you currently in therapy?
Yes  No

*Have you ever been diagnosed with a mental illness?
Yes  No

*Have you ever been diagnosed with PTSD?
Yes  No

*How fluent are you in English?
Not very fluent   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  Highly fluent

*In general, how much success have you had in your personal life?
Very little   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  A great deal

*In general, how much success have you had in your professional life?
Very little   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  A great deal

*In general, how happy and fulfilled are you?
Very unhappy   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  Extremely happy

*In general, how resilient do you consider yourself to be?
Not at all resilient   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  Highly resilient

*Have you had any training or education in resilience?
Yes  No

If so, approximately how many hours of training or education have you had?


If a teacher, counselor, physician or other professional suggested that you take this test, please identify him or her, as well as his or her institutional affiliation.


Thanks! Now here is the test itself:

For each of the following questions, select the answer that best applies to you.


*1. I'm good at identifying my strengths and weaknesses.
Agree             Disagree


*2. I know how to identify my emotions accurately, both positive and negative ones.
Agree             Disagree


*3. I'm good at staying in the moment, rather than worrying about the past or future.
Agree             Disagree


*4. I often bottle up my emotions.
Agree             Disagree


*5. When I don't understand what someone is saying, I always ask him or her to clarify.
Agree             Disagree


*6. I regularly examine and try to correct my irrational beliefs.
Agree             Disagree


*7. I try not to think too much about bad things that have happened to me.
Agree             Disagree


*8. I often ask for feedback from other people.
Agree             Disagree


*9. I'm good at judging how other people are feeling.
Agree             Disagree


*10. I practice yoga, meditation, or other relaxation techniques to help me relax.
Agree             Disagree


*11. When something bad happens to me, I try to think about it in a neutral or positive way.
Agree             Disagree


*12. I generally put a lot of effort into achieving my goals.
Agree             Disagree


*13. I always have high hopes for the future.
Agree             Disagree


*14. I'm always looking for the best possible solution to every problem I face.
Agree             Disagree


*15. I'm aware of and take pride in my strengths.
Agree             Disagree


*16. I often think about good things that happened to me to make me feel happy.
Agree             Disagree


*17. I always try to speak loudly enough so people can hear me easily.
Agree             Disagree


*18. I always eat healthy foods.
Agree             Disagree


*19. My negative thoughts often overwhelm me.
Agree             Disagree


*20. I see challenges as opportunities to improve myself.
Agree             Disagree


*21. I have trouble apologizing to people I have hurt.
Agree             Disagree


*22. I never let my fears hold me back.
Agree             Disagree


*23. I know how to voice my opinions without hurting others.
Agree             Disagree


*24. I generally have realistic expectations about what's going to happen.
Agree             Disagree


*25. I put a lot of effort into maintaining my friendships.
Agree             Disagree


*26. I maintain good eye contact when speaking with people.
Agree             Disagree


*27. I always try to respect other people's views, even when I don't agree with them.
Agree             Disagree


*28. I generally try to interpret what happens to me positively.
Agree             Disagree


*29. I have trouble thinking clearly when I'm faced with problems.
Agree             Disagree


*30. I regularly explore ways to improve myself.
Agree             Disagree


*31. I try not to repeat the same mistakes.
Agree             Disagree


*32. I often get upset or angry when I'm criticized.
Agree             Disagree


*33. I often find myself repeating the same mistakes.
Agree             Disagree


*34. I use both positive and negative life experiences to grow and improve myself.
Agree             Disagree


*35. When I need to ask someone for a favor, I always ask for it clearly and directly.
Agree             Disagree


*36. I always make sure I get a good night's sleep.
Agree             Disagree


*37. I regularly review the goals I've set for myself.
Agree             Disagree


*38. I regularly set ambitious but realistic goals for myself.
Agree             Disagree


*39. I sometimes make myself smile when I feel sad.
Agree             Disagree


*40. I always speak up when something is bothering me.
Agree             Disagree


*41. I have trouble forgiving people if they have hurt me in some way.
Agree             Disagree


*42. I always finish what I start.
Agree             Disagree


*43. I try to forgive myself if I make a mistake.
Agree             Disagree


*44. I exercise regularly.
Agree             Disagree


*45. I have trouble expressing affection or love for other people.
Agree             Disagree


*46. When something bad happens, I sometimes use drugs or alcohol to make me feel better.
Agree             Disagree


*47. I often try to use humor to reduce tension.
Agree             Disagree


*48. I always seek to perform at a high level.
Agree             Disagree


*49. I have trouble prioritizing.
Agree             Disagree


*50. I often turn to friends or relatives to help me deal with bad experiences.
Agree             Disagree


*51. When I can't solve a problem, I often ask other people to help me.
Agree             Disagree


*52. I have trouble staying calm in difficult situations.
Agree             Disagree


*53. I get back to my routines fairly quickly after something bad happens.
Agree             Disagree


*54. I'm willing to see a therapist if something bad has happened to me.
Agree             Disagree


*55. I regularly take breaks to help me relax.
Agree             Disagree


*56. I find it easy to forgive people if they have hurt me in some way.
Agree             Disagree


*57. I always try to find meaning in the bad things that have happened to me.
Agree             Disagree


*58. When I start to panic, I know how to calm myself down.
Agree             Disagree


*59. I have at least one person I can always trust and rely on.
Agree             Disagree


*60. When I start to panic, I don't know what to do.
Agree             Disagree


*61. I work hard to maintain my friendships.
Agree             Disagree


*62. I have trouble controlling my negative emotions, like sadness, fear, or anger.
Agree             Disagree


*63. I sometimes get emotional when I shouldn't.
Agree             Disagree


*64. I do not get upset or angry when someone criticizes me.
Agree             Disagree


*65. I always try to make time for friendly interactions with other people.
Agree             Disagree


*66. I have no trouble saying no to people.
Agree             Disagree


*67. When the going gets tough, I frequently just give up.
Agree             Disagree


*68. I often find creative new ways to solve my problems.
Agree             Disagree


*69. I frequently visualize soothing scenes to help me relax.
Agree             Disagree


*70. I often wish my problems would just go away.
Agree             Disagree


*71. I generally plan ahead as a way of reducing the chaos in my life.
Agree             Disagree


*72. I generally work hard to achieve my goals.
Agree             Disagree


*73. I generally try to avoid or ignore hostile people.
Agree             Disagree


*74. I often speak so softly that people can't hear me.
Agree             Disagree


*75. I often take the time to think about things I'm grateful for.
Agree             Disagree


*76. I'm good at keeping myself calm in difficult situations.
Agree             Disagree


*77. I generally look at the positive side of things.
Agree             Disagree


*78. I praise and encourage other people far more often than I criticize them.
Agree             Disagree


*79. When I can't solve a problem one way, I try another.
Agree             Disagree


*80. I often avoid dealing with the problems I face in my life.
Agree             Disagree


*81. When I'm blamed for something I didn't do, I always speak up and defend myself.
Agree             Disagree