Scale Overview
The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale – DERS was developed by Gratz, K. L., & Roemer, L. (2004). It is designed to measure Emotion Regulation. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 36 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Nonacceptance of emotional responses, Difficulty engaging in goal-directed behaviour, Impulse control difficulties, Lack of emotional awareness, Limited access to emotion regulation strategies, Lack of emotional clarity.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Nonacceptance of emotional responses |
11,12,21,23,25,29 |
6 |
| Difficulty engaging in goal-directed behaviour |
13,18,20,26,33 |
5 |
| Impulse control difficulties |
3,14,19,24,27,32 |
6 |
| Lack of emotional awareness |
2,6,8,10,17,34 |
6 |
| Limited access to emotion regulation strategies |
15,16,22,28,30,31,35,36 |
8 |
| Lack of emotional clarity |
1,4,5,7,9 |
5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Almost Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = About half the time, 4 = Most of the time, 5 = Almost always.
The scale includes 11 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 36 to 180. Interpretation guidelines:
- Below Clinical Average: 36 – 88
- Above Clinical Average: 89 – 180
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.90).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.