Development of the Japanese Version of the Beliefs about Emotions Scale1

Abstract

People have beliefs about the unacceptability of the expression and experience of negative emotions. These beliefs affect psychological health and can have a negative effect on the treatment and symptoms of people with mental disorders and medically unexplained symptoms. This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the Beliefs about Emotions Scale (BES-J) and evaluate its reliability and validity. In an online survey, participants with fibromyalgia (n = 226) and healthy controls (n = 184) completed the BES-J and questionnaires concerning perfectionism, dysfunctional attitudes, depression, anxiety, pain, disability, well-being, interdependent happiness, and loneliness. The results of the principal component analysis showed that the BES-J comprised a one-factor structure, identical to the original. The BES-J had good internal consistency (.89) and showed a significant correlation with the questionnaires. The BES-J showed good internal reliability, concurrent validity, and test–retest reliability. The present study suggests that the Japanese version of the BES is appropriate for use with Japanese speakers.