Abstract
Globally, there is increasing need to address the burden of mental illness on populations, including youth, and increasing recognition of the role of social determinants on mental health. The study of resilience, as an ecological process of individual and community resource mobilisation in the face of adversity, is a promising lens through which to understand culturally and contextually relevant factors that enhance or inhibit mental wellbeing. This paper reports on a validation of a reduced, 2-factor, 17-item form of the child and youth resilience measure (CYRM-28) on a population of youth in Aotearoa (New Zealand) who were involved in multiple service systems, including child and adolescent mental health services. It builds on previous work which validated the full 28-item scale. It responds to needs articulated by researchers and service providers for a shortened version of the CYRM-28 that reduces assessment burdens on youth and clinicians. The reduced form may be helpful in mental health settings to quickly understand the resilience resources around vulnerable youth and support interventions that build on strengths and directly address areas where resources are missing.