Citation

First JM, Yu M, Houston JB. Disasters 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/disa.12452

PMID

32633014

Abstract

In response to the growing threat of disasters in the U.S. and worldwide, well-tested assessment tools that operationalize specific protective factors associated with adaptation and resilience to disaster events are needed. Recognizing this need, we developed and validated the Disaster Adaptation and Resilience Scale (DARS) to measure five domains found to support adaptive responses in individuals exposed to disaster events: physical resources, social resources, problem solving, distress regulation, and optimism. The development and validation processes of the scale occurred across two studies. Study One consisted of the construct development, item generation, and expert review. Study Two conducted a full validation evaluation of the psychometric properties of the scale in a sample of adults exposed to a disaster event in the U.S. (N=625).

RESULTS found DARS demonstrated psychometric properties that support its use among adults experiencing disaster. A discussion is included on how the scale can be utilized in research and practice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Language: en