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. 2016 Jun;38(2):284-296.
doi: 10.1007/s10862-015-9514-x. Epub 2015 Sep 14.

Development and Validation of a Brief Version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale: The DERS-16

Johan Bjureberg  1 , Brjánn Ljótsson  1 , Matthew T Tull  2 , Erik Hedman  1 , Hanna Sahlin  1 , Lars-Gunnar Lundh  3 , Jonas Bjärehed  3 , David DiLillo  4 , Terri Messman-Moore  5 , Clara Hellner Gumpert  1 , Kim L Gratz  2
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Development and Validation of a Brief Version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale: The DERS-16

Johan Bjureberg et al. J Psychopathol Behav Assess. 2016 Jun.

Abstract

The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) is a widely-used, theoretically-driven, and psychometrically-sound self-report measure of emotion regulation difficulties. However, at 36-items, the DERS may be challenging to administer in some situations or settings (e.g., in the course of patient care or large-scale epidemiological studies). Consequently, there is a need a briefer version of the DERS. The goal of the present studies was to develop and evaluate a 16-item version of the DERS - the DERS-16. The reliability and validity of the DERS-16 were examined in a clinical sample (N = 96) and two large community samples (Ns = 102 and 482). The validity of the DERS-16 was evaluated comparing the relative strength of the association of the two versions of the DERS with measures of emotion regulation and related constructs, psychopathology, and clinically-relevant behaviors theorized to stem from emotion regulation deficits. Results demonstrate that the DERS-16 has retained excellent internal consistency, good test-retest reliability, and good convergent and discriminant validity. Further, the DERS-16 showed minimal differences in its convergent and discriminant validity with relevant measures when compared to the original DERS. In conclusion, the DERS-16 offers a valid and brief method for the assessment of overall emotion regulation difficulties.

Keywords: assessment; emotion regulation; experiential avoidance; self-report measure; short version.

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