Using the CYRM-28 With South African Young People: A Factor Structure Analysis

Abstract

Purpose: The factor structure of the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-28) was originally established using a Canadian sample. This factor structure was not confirmed in a study with New Zealand youth. Given such variability, the current study investigated the factor structure of the CYRM-28 in a sample of Sesotho-speaking South African youth who participated in Pathways to Resilience Study. Method: Using latent variable modeling, we tested six varied models in two randomly selected samples ( n1 = 559; n2 = 578). Results: Fit statistics indicated that a three-factor variation of the New Zealand model, namely, individual, family/relational, and composite context, fitted best. The contextual composite synthesizes the CYRM-28 clusters that measure social skills, educational, spiritual, community, and cultural resources. Conclusion: The contextual composite reflects traditional African ways of being. Accordingly, understanding the factor structure of the CYRM-28 precedes practitioner capacity to promote resilience in an evidence-informed way.