Predictive Validity of Resilience in the Treatment of Individuals With Anxiety and Depressive Disorders.

Abstract

The current study sought to evaluate the predictive validity of resilience among individuals with anxiety and/or depressive disorders. Receiver operating characteristics were calculated for each of the 25-item and 10-item versions of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, evaluated against psychological distress and treatment response, at screening and post-treatment. New referrals to an anxiety and related disorders clinic were recruited for this purpose (N = 672 at screening, N = 349 post-treatment). Robust cross-sectional associations between resilience and psychological distress and treatment response were noted and were strongest at post-treatment. However, the related sensitivity (63% to 66% at screening, 69% to 76% post-treatment), specificity (78% to 83% at screening, approximately 73% post-treatment), and areas under the curve (AUC; approximately 73% at screening, 78% to 82% post-treatment) were modest. Furthermore, there was minimal support for resilience as a predictor of recovery using the longitudinal data (sensitivity and specificity could not be determined, with AUC of approximately 68% for psychological distress and 56% for treatment response). Although a relatively large homogeneous sample was available for this study, analyses of specific diagnostic subgroups may offer valuable further insight. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 59(7), 35-41.].