The difficulties in emotion regulation scale: Dimensionality, measurement invariance, and physiological correlates in community adolescents.

Abstract

Emotion regulation is a central construct for the study of mental health in adolescence. Although the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) has been vastly used, several issues remain unanswered (e.g., factor structure/dimensionality). This study aimed to validate the 36-items DERS in a sample of 989 Portuguese community adolescent (460 boys; 529 girls; age ranged from 14 to 18). A bifactor-ESEM model, comprising a general and six specific factors (nonacceptance; goals; impulses; strategies; clarity; awareness) was explored and considered the best fitting model. Gender measurement invariance was established. When compared with boys, although differences were small in magnitude, girls presented higher emotion regulation difficulties. Evidence for reliability and construct/temporal validity were found, and significant associations between the DERS and physiological measures of emotion regulation (i.e., Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability) were established. Findings support the use of the DERS in adolescent samples.