Psychometric validation of the Turkish Short form of the disaster resilience scale for individuals

Purpose This study adapts and validates the Short Form of the Disaster Resilience Scale for Individuals (DRSi-SF) into Turkish, aiming to provide a practical tool for assessing disaster preparedness in high-risk contexts. Method Data were collected from 505 adults across Türkiye, a country highly exposed to earthquakes, floods, and landslides. The DRSi-SF was translated and back-translated, with linguistic equivalence confirmed via paired t-tests and correlations. Psychometric analyses included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, internal consistency, concurrent validity testing with the Disaster Risk Perception Scale, and measurement invariance across gender and disaster experience groups. Findings and Conclusion The Turkish DRSi-SF retained its original three-factor structure—knowledge, readiness, and action—with acceptable fit indices (CFI = 0.906, RMSEA = 0.074) and reliability (α = 0.71). Disaster resilience correlated positively with risk perception, supporting concurrent validity. Measurement invariance was established at configural, metric, and scalar levels across groups, enabling meaningful subgroup comparisons. Practical implications The DRSi-SF offers a brief, scalable instrument for policymakers, emergency agencies, and NGOs to identify resilience levels, inform preparedness strategies, and target interventions. Its brevity facilitates integration into e-government systems, mobile applications, and community-based screenings. Originality This is the first Turkish adaptation of the DRSi-SF, aligning with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and providing a culturally relevant, psychometrically sound tool applicable to other hazard-prone regions.