The Italian Version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form (IT-DERS-SF): A Two-step Validation Study

The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) is an extensively used questionnaire to measure emotion regulation both in clinical and research practice but its length represents a limitation. This research aims to validate the Italian version of the DERS-SF (IT-DERS-SF) in a large sample from the general population. In Study 1 (N = 2222), exploratory graph analysis (EGA), was used to examine item clustering across hypothesized dimensions. In Study 2 (N = 4543), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), measurement invariance across age and gender were conducted together with a deep investigation of psychometric properties. Study 1 suggested that the EGA correctly identified the six hypothesized dimensions Study 2 showed that the DERS-SF provided good fit indexes (CFI = 0.957, RMSEA = 0.060; 90%CI[0.058, 0.063], SRMR = 0.056), it is invariant between groups, and showed good psychometric properties. Findings demonstrates the goodness of the IT-DERS-SF for research and clinical purposes, with useful normative scores provided. Fruitful implications are discussed for both methodological and clinical practice. In conclusion, the IT-DERS-SF is a brief and accurate tool suitable for inclusion in assessment batteries; it is useful to assess emotion regulation difficulties shared across several psychological difficulties, and may inform interventions to improve psychological health.