A Psychometric Investigation of the Distress Tolerance Scale Short Form (DTS-SF): Reliability, Validity, and Factor Structure in a Trauma-Exposed Sample

Abstract

Perceived emotional distress tolerance refers to one’s perceived capacity to tolerate negative emotional states, and this construct is commonly identified as a transdiagnostic development and maintenance factor of psychopathology. The Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) is a commonly used self-report measure of emotional distress tolerance, and recently an abbreviated version, the Distress Tolerance Scale-Short Form (DTS-SF), was developed. The present study examined the psychometric properties of the DTS-SF in a large sample (N = 1099) of emerging adults. Our findings demonstrated that the DTS-SF had adequate internal reliability and was strongly associated with the DTS total score. Similarly, the DTS-SF had moderate negative associations with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptom severity, as well as negative affect. Using confirmatory factor analysis, it had good model fit. Multiple group measurement invariance testing supported metric invariance when comparing individuals with a history of trauma to individuals without a history of a potentially traumatic event. Further, the DTS-SF had metric invariance, but not scalar invariance, when examining gender differences. Results indicated the DTS-SF overall has acceptable psychometric properties and may be appropriate to use as an abbreviated measure of perceived emotional distress tolerance.