Psychometric Properties of the Bangla Version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form (DERS-SF): A Cross-Sectional Study on University Students.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Measuring difficulties in Emotion regulation is crucial from the perspective of clinical assessment and intervention. Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form (DERS-SF) is the most commonly used tool to assess emotional dysregulation. Nevertheless, this essential tool has not been validated, and its psychometric properties have not been explored in the Bangladeshi culture. Consequently, the study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Bangla Version of the DERS-SF in a sample of university students in the Bangladeshi culture. METHOD: The study included 328 university students (58% Male and 42% female) as a sample aged 19 to 26 (M = 23.19, SD = 1.62) from the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. The study employed a purposive sampling strategy. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to confirm the factor structure of the DERS-SF. RESULTS: The results of the study revealed that the original six-factor model of the DERS-SF had a good fit [χ2/df = 2.495, GFI = 0.911, TLI = 0.901, and CFI = 0.925, RMSEA = 0.068] in the present sample, which justifies factorial validity of the Bangla DERS-SF. The high reliability of the Bangla DERS-SF was justified by the value of Cronbach's α (total Score = 0.88, Strategies = 0.64, Non-acceptance = 0.68, Impulse = 0.84, Awareness = 0.55 and Clarity factor =0.69). The concurrent validity of the DERS-SF was determined by the correlation with the psychological distress and positive mental health in the expected direction. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study indicate that DERS-SF is a valid and reliable measure for assessing emotion dysregulation among the student population in Bangladesh. This study will benefit mental health practitioners and researchers in many ways.