Coping Self-Efficacy Scale

Download Carepatron's free PDF template and example of the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale to assess your coping abilities in various situations.

By Wynona Jugueta on Aug 2, 2025.

Fact Checked by Gale Alagos.

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What is the self-efficacy theory?

The self-efficacy theory, developed by psychologist Albert Bandura, is a cornerstone of coping theory that focuses on an individual’s belief in their ability to execute behaviors necessary to achieve specific outcomes. This theory posits that self-efficacy—the belief in one's capabilities—plays a crucial role in how people approach challenges and stressors in life. Individuals with high self-efficacy are more likely to engage in adaptive coping, employing emotion-focused coping skills to manage stress, thus having an increased psychological well-being and see reduced psychological distress.

When medical professionals assess coping self-efficacy, they evaluate a person's confidence in performing coping behaviors that help them deal with life’s demands. Factors assess self-efficacy include an individual’s previous experiences, emotional states, and the emotional support they receive from others.

Confirmatory factor analyses were used to determine the validity of this assessment. Predictive validity analyses showed that individuals with high self-efficacy are more resilient in the face of adversity and have strong mental health (Xu et al., 2022).

Coping Self-Efficacy Scale Template

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What is the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale?

The Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) is a psychological assessment and coping questionnaire tool. It is designed to measure an individual's confidence in their ability to perform effective behaviors when faced with life challenges. The CSES is composed of 26 items and is divided into three subscales: problem-focused coping strategies, emotion-focused coping strategies, and social support coping.

Each subscale assesses a different aspect of coping, reflecting the various strategies individuals use to manage psychological distress and adversity. Problem-focused coping evaluates the ability to tackle challenges directly. Emotion-focused coping measures the capacity to manage emotional responses, and social support coping assesses the use of social networks for support. The CSES provides a comprehensive view of perceived self-efficacy, offering insights into how well individuals believe they can cope with difficulties.

This scale is widely used in both clinical and research settings to understand and enhance coping mechanisms, ultimately contributing to improved psychological well-being.

How to use this scale?

To use the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale effectively with patients, medical professionals should first instruct patients to rate their confidence in performing behaviors that contribute to adaptive coping. This is done on an 11-point scale, where:

0 represents "cannot do at all"
5 signifies "moderately certain can do"
10 indicates "certain can do"

The patient’s responses across the 26 items are then summed to create an overall CSES score. A complete score is calculated only if the patient answers at least 80% of the items.

For any unanswered items, the professional can estimate a “corrected sum” by adding the patient’s mean score for the answered items to the missing ones. This corrected score maintains the accuracy of the assessment. The resulting CSES score provides a comprehensive measure of the patient’s perceived self-efficacy in coping, which can be used to tailor interventions and support strategies to enhance their coping abilities.

Scoring and interpretation

An overall CSES score is created by summing the item ratings. Higher scores on the CSES suggest a strong belief in one's ability to cope effectively with stressors and challenges, which may correlate with better psychological well-being and resilience.

Lower scores, on the other hand, indicate a lack of confidence in coping abilities, which may be associated with higher levels of psychological distress and poorer mental health outcomes.

Next steps

After administering and scoring the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale, medical professionals should review the results with the patient to identify areas where they may need additional support. If the patient scores low in certain areas, consider developing a personalized intervention plan that includes strategies to enhance their coping skills, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, stress management techniques, or social support resources.

For patients with high self-efficacy, reinforce their strengths and encourage the continuation of effective coping strategies. Regular follow-ups can help monitor progress and adjust the treatment plan as needed to ensure ongoing psychological well-being.

Reference

Xu, Y., Yang, G., Yan, C., Li, J., & Zhang, J. (2022). Predictive effect of resilience on self-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic: The moderating role of creativity. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 1066759. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1066759

Commonly asked questions

The Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) is a 26-item assessment tool designed to measure an individual's confidence in their ability to perform effective coping behaviors when facing life challenges. It evaluates three key areas: Problem-focused Coping, Emotion-focused Coping, and Social Support Coping.

The Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) is scored by summing the ratings from each item, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate greater confidence in coping abilities. Scores are interpreted to assess the individual's perceived self-efficacy in managing emotional responses, mental health problems, and coping responses during stressful situations.

Coping strategies self-efficacy refers to an individual’s belief in their ability to effectively use coping strategies to manage stress and adversity. This concept is central to the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale, which assesses how confident a person feels in their ability to employ problem-focused, emotion-focused, and emotional support coping strategies.