Validation of a French version of the DERS-SF and creation of a super short form (DERS-F SSF) for measuring emotion regulation difficulties

TL;DR

This paper validates a French version of a questionnaire measuring emotion regulation difficulties and introduces a 6-item shorter version for easier use.

Contribution

The study introduces a validated French DERS-SF and a new 6-item Super Short Form for measuring emotion regulation difficulties.

Findings

The French DERS-SF showed high reliability (Cronbach α > 0.84) and validity (Tucker’s ϕ > 0.99).

The 6-item Super Short Form demonstrated satisfactory reliability and external validity.

The shorter form enriches understanding of emotion regulation dimensions beyond longer scales.

Abstract

Difficulties in regulating emotions, i.e., struggling to manage emotions and pursuing goals despite emotions, is a predominant symptom in many diagnoses. In the general population, this variable can be measured with rather comprehensive questionnaires. This is the case of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS, 36 items), resulting in a total score and six different sub-scores. In most cases, however, the length and complexity of scale long versions compromise valid recordings. This is the reason why shorter versions of the DERS are available, such as the DERS-SF (18 items). However, when dealing with specific populations, and in particular clinical ones, 18 items remain burdensome. The creation of a Super Short Form seemed necessary in the field. With the present work, we aimed at, first, validating the French translation of the DERS-SF, a widely used instrument, which still lacks French validation. Second, based on an extensive database gathered in our lab, we propose a DERS Super-Short-Form composed of 6 items, each reflecting a difficulty in emotion regulation. Data of 3944 participants (76% female), who completed either the 36-item or the 18-item form of the French DERS were analyzed. Results support the validity and reliability of the French version of the DERS-SF (Cronbach α > 0.84 for the total score and congruence index, Tucker’s ϕ > 0.99). The Super-Short Form demonstrated satisfactory reliability. External validity was confirmed, above and beyond what could be seen with longer scales, enriching the understanding of the various dimensions of the difficulties in emotion regulation.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-24281-4.