BACKGROUND: The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) is commonly used to assess dimensions of emotion dysregulation, including emotion nonacceptance, limited strategies, and difficulty with goal-directed behavior, impulse control, and emotional clarity. Despite considerable work examining the DERS' factor structure, reliability, and validity, there is limited psychometric support for its use with Black women. OBJECTIVES: (1) Examine the factor structure of the DERS; (2) Compare fit of short-form versions; and (3) Assess whether scores differ based on diagnoses. METHOD: Sample consisted of Black women (n = 667) recruited in urban, community hospital setting. RESULTS: The DERS-18 correlated traits model without awareness demonstrated the best fit, χ2 (80) = 261.09, root mean square error of approximation = 0.06 [0.05, 0.07], comparative fit index = 0.99, Tucker Lewis Index = 0.98, weighted root mean square residual = 0.89. Additionally, those with current diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depressive disorder (MDD) reported higher dysregulation (vs. lifetime/no diagnoses). Further, women with comorbid PTSD/MDD reported greater dysregulation (vs. single disorder/no diagnoses). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence supporting the model fit, reliability, and validity of the DERS-18 for Black women.
BACKGROUND: The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) is commonly used to assess dimensions of emotion dysregulation, including emotion nonacceptance, limited strategies, and difficulty with goal-directed behavior, impulse control, and emotional clarity. Despite considerable work examining the DERS' factor structure, reliability, and validity, there is limited psychometric support for its use with Black women. OBJECTIVES: (1) Examine the factor structure of the DERS; (2) Compare fit of short-form versions; and (3) Assess whether scores differ based on diagnoses. METHOD: Sample consisted of Black women (n = 667) recruited in urban, community hospital setting. RESULTS: The DERS-18 correlated traits model without awareness demonstrated the best fit, χ2 (80) = 261.09, root mean square error of approximation = 0.06 [0.05, 0.07], comparative fit index = 0.99, Tucker Lewis Index = 0.98, weighted root mean square residual = 0.89. Additionally, those with current diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depressive disorder (MDD) reported higher dysregulation (vs. lifetime/no diagnoses). Further, women with comorbid PTSD/MDD reported greater dysregulation (vs. single disorder/no diagnoses). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence supporting the model fit, reliability, and validity of the DERS-18 for Black women.
Authors: Abigail Powers; Yara Mekawi; Maximilian Fickenwirth; Nicole R Nugent; H Drew Dixon; Sean Minton; Ye Ji Kim; Rachel Gluck; Sierra Carter; Negar Fani; Ann C Schwartz; Bekh Bradley; Guillermo E Umpierrez; Thaddeus W W Pace; Tanja Jovanovic; Vasiliki Michopoulos; Charles F Gillespie Journal: J Psychiatr Res Date: 2021-07-29 Impact factor: 5.250