The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Short Form: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Among Parents of Children With Mental Health Disorders in Norway

Difficulties in emotion regulation lie at the core of many mental health challenges. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Short Form (DERS-SF) is a widely used tool for measuring such difficulties. Although it has been translated into several languages and validated across various countries worldwide, its psychometric properties have not been thoroughly examined in Scandinavian populations. This study aimed to replicate the original multidimensional six-factor DERS-SF model in a Norwegian sample, compare it with alternative models, and examine its correlation with psychological distress. As part of a randomized controlled trial (RCT), 138 parents of children with mental health disorders completed the DERS-SF and the 10-item Symptom Check List (SCL-10). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted to compare the six-factor model with a five-factor model and two hierarchical models. CFAs supported the six-factor, five-factor and hierarchical models. All showing good model fit. The six-factor model was preferred over the five-factor model based on theoretical considerations regarding the inclusion of the Awareness factor. Reliability analysis yielded McDonald's omega values ranging from 0.61 to 0.94. A positive correlation between emotion regulation difficulties and psychological distress was observed (r = 0.445, p < 0.001). The findings supported the applicability of the DERS-SF in a Norwegian population and its utility for clinical and research purposes. However, as the sample consisted of parents of children receiving mental health care, caution is required when interpreting these results due to potential limitations regarding external validity and generalizability. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT04885036.