Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS): Evidence of validity and reliability in Colombian samples

Abstract

Difficulties in emotion regulation are associated with anxiety and problems in social relationships, among others, which supports evaluating them and having scales adapted to each context. The objective of the present study was to determine the validity and reliability of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) in Colombian community samples and provide qualification standards for assessment in Colombia. 1435 participants were included in two studies. In the first (n = 724, M_age = 21.00, SD_age = 2.98) reliability and exploratory factor analyses were conducted, whereas in the second (n = 711, M_age = 21.56; SD_age = 3.68) a confirmatory factor analysis was performed. The results showed a five-factor structure, similar to the original version, which explained 64.1% of the total variance. The confirmatory analysis revealed adequate adjustment and reliability indicators greater than .80. Results suggest that the DERS is valid and reliable to assess emotional dysregulation in Colombian samples.