Evaluating resiliency patterns using the ER89: A case study from Kuwait

The component patterns of personality resilience within a population recently exposed to extreme stress and adversity were investigated; specifically, the self-scoring Ego Resiliency Scale (ER89) was used to identify individual qualities of ego resilience in 495 Kuwait University students. Males and females, married and single, took the ER89 five years after Kuwait’s liberation. The question of gender differences and the quality of resilience were addressed. The ER89, a reliable self-scoring inventory of 14 items using a 4-point scale, reflects the pure resilience qualities of respondents. Results show differences between male/female respondents and nuclear/extended family types. The scope of this study did not include the participants’ adaptation to the invasion experience, thus no symptom or exposure measures were included.