Psychometric Properties of Turkish Version of Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Brief Form (DERS-16)

This study aimed to investigate the factor structure of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Brief Form (DERS-16) in a Turkish sample. It also aimed to determine whether the factor structure of the scale was equivalent across gender. The sample consisted of 316 undergraduate students (169 females and 147 males) aged between 18 and 28 years. Participants were asked to complete the DERS-16, Brief Symptom Inventory, Acceptance and Action QuestionnaireII, and Berkeley Expressivity Scale. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to investigate the factor structure of DERS-16, while multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis was carried out to test measurement invariance across sex. The results showed DERS-16 to exhibit robust psychometric properties, while its five-factor structure was equivalent across gender. DERS-16 scores were found to be significantly correlated with various psychological symptoms, emotional avoidance, and emotional expressivity. Furthermore, female participants scored higher than males on both overall DERS-16 and its Goals, Strategies, and Non-acceptance subscales. Taken together, these findings suggest that DERS-16 is a valid and reliable self-report measure of emotional dysregulation that exhibits cross-cultural validity in a Turkish sample.