Emotion dysregulation in older people: validity and reliability of an 8-item version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale

Abstract

Objectives The abbreviated 16-item version of the Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16) is widely used to assess individuals’ perceived challenges in regulating their emotions, a central aspect of psychological symptoms commonly experienced in old age. However, its psychometric properties have yet to be tested in this population. Furthermore, a shorter version of the DERS-16 could further minimize the assessment burden on older individuals. Thus, we aimed to test the DERS-16’s psychometric performance and determine if any items were redundant to develop a psychometrically sound shorter version. Methods We enrolled 302 Portuguese older adults (M age = 75.22; SD = 8.99 years) in a cross-sectional study. Results Exploratory factor analyses indicated a one-factor structure and a four-factor solution with eight items (69.3%–81.9% of the variance observed). The four-factor–8-item solution presented an interpretable structure and demonstrated good reliability values (> 0.70) and construct validity with the Twenty-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Eight-Item Geriatric Depression Scale, and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (r = 0.66, 0.40, 0.52; p < 0.001). Conclusion The robust psychometric properties of DERS-8 make it a valuable tool for clinical and longitudinal studies, facilitating targeted interventions in older adults and allowing for precise emotion dysregulation screening.