A Study of Psychometric Properties of Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale – Thai Version among Thai Population

Abstract

Objective: Individuals with psychiatric disorders are found to struggle with emotion regulation, which is considered a transdiagnostic factor. However, due to a limitation in the assessment of emotion regulation in Thailand, this study aimed to translate the Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) into Thai (DERS-Thai) and evaluate its psychometric properties. Materials and Methods: The DERS-Thai was initially translated by one of the researchers before being re-reviewed. A pre-testing phase was then conducted to preliminarily evaluate the psychometric properties of the DERS-Thai. Subsequently, the testing phase involved 446 participants who completed an online questionnaire platform containing demographic data, DERS-Thai, the Emotion Regulation Scale (ERQ), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21). The factor structure was then evaluated, along with its concurrent and criterion validity, as well as its internal consistency. Results: DERS-Thai demonstrated acceptable content validity (I-CVI = 0.8 to 1.0, S-CVI/Ave = 0.85). In the testing phase with 446 participants (mean age = 29.19, SD = 8.50), predominantly female (81.8%), and mostly residing in central Thailand (81.31%), the original model did not fit well. After modification, fit indices were improved. DERS-Thai showed a negative correlation with ERQ and a moderate to strong correlation with DASS-21. Known-group analysis revealed significant differences in DERS-Thai scores between DASS-21 groups (p-value < 0.001). The scale exhibited excellent internal consistency (α = 0.94, ω = 0.96). Conclusion: The DERS-Thai has demonstrated appropriate psychometric properties for assessing emotion regulation skills in individuals.