Coping Strategies Assessment
A detailed private Backing U self-assessment designed to help you reflect on how helpful, flexible and sustainable current coping strategies are under pressure. It looks across relying on avoidance or distraction for longer than intended, using substances, spending, food, gaming or other habits mainly to escape difficult feelings, difficulty asking other people for help, using only one coping strategy regardless of the problem and coping methods creating additional problems afterwards. The assessment contains 20 questions and is intended to give you a structured wellbeing snapshot, highlight the areas having the greatest effect, and provide practical recommendations for what to do next. It is not designed to diagnose a condition or replace an individual professional assessment.
The Coping Strategies Assessment is a Backing U educational wellbeing and self-reflection tool. It is not a validated diagnostic instrument, does not provide a clinical diagnosis and does not replace individual assessment or advice from a qualified professional. Scores are influenced by how questions are understood and by the timeframe selected. If several items are marked N/A, the total may be lower and should be interpreted cautiously; individual responses may be more informative than the total score. If difficulties are severe, rapidly worsening, affecting basic functioning or creating safety concerns, seek appropriate professional or urgent support. External resources are provided for further reading and support only. They are operated by independent Australian or UK organisations and their inclusion does not imply endorsement of this Backing U tool.
I have noticed relying on avoidance or distraction for longer than intended.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Relying on avoidance or distraction for longer than intended has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Relying on avoidance or distraction for longer than intended has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of relying on avoidance or distraction for longer than intended.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have noticed using substances, spending, food, gaming or other habits mainly to escape difficult feelings.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Using substances, spending, food, gaming or other habits mainly to escape difficult feelings has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Using substances, spending, food, gaming or other habits mainly to escape difficult feelings has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of using substances, spending, food, gaming or other habits mainly to escape difficult feelings.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have noticed difficulty asking other people for help.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Difficulty asking other people for help has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Difficulty asking other people for help has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of difficulty asking other people for help.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have noticed using only one coping strategy regardless of the problem.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Using only one coping strategy regardless of the problem has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Using only one coping strategy regardless of the problem has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of using only one coping strategy regardless of the problem.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have noticed coping methods creating additional problems afterwards.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Coping methods creating additional problems afterwards has been difficult to ignore, switch off or manage once it starts.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Coping methods creating additional problems afterwards has affected my concentration, mood, sleep, relationships, responsibilities or usual routine.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
I have changed, delayed, avoided or pushed through things because of coping methods creating additional problems afterwards.
Choose 0 if this has not applied and 10 if it has applied extremely strongly, frequently or consistently during the stated timeframe. Use N/A only if the question is genuinely not relevant.
Keep or share a copy of your result
You can email a copy of this result to yourself. You can separately choose whether Backing U may receive an anonymous copy of your responses and result for quality improvement and research.
The Coping Strategies Assessment is a Backing U educational wellbeing and self-reflection tool. It is not a validated diagnostic instrument, does not provide a clinical diagnosis and does not replace individual assessment or advice from a qualified professional. Scores are influenced by how questions are understood and by the timeframe selected. If several items are marked N/A, the total may be lower and should be interpreted cautiously; individual responses may be more informative than the total score. If difficulties are severe, rapidly worsening, affecting basic functioning or creating safety concerns, seek appropriate professional or urgent support. External resources are provided for further reading and support only. They are operated by independent Australian or UK organisations and their inclusion does not imply endorsement of this Backing U tool.