Psychometric properties of the English-language difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-16 for 15-18-year-old adolescents in the Western Cape of South Africa

IF 2.6 Q1 PSYCHIATRY

SSM. Mental health Pub Date : 2025-09-03 DOI:10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100522

C. Ward Smith , K. Sorsdahl , J.R. Pozuelo , C. van der Westhuizen

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Abstract

Introduction

Given that emotion regulation (ER) is associated with mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, among adolescents, it is vital to have psychometrically sound ER measures. However, validated ER measures for South African adolescents are scarce. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the psychometric properties of the English-language Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale–16 (DERS-16) among South African adolescents in the Western Cape.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 474 students aged 15–18 years from 12 high schools in the Western Cape. The survey assessed sociodemographic characteristics, ER, depression and anxiety. Psychometric properties of the DERS-16 were assessed, including internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.

Results

The DERS-16 displayed excellent internal consistency (α = 0.93), average test-retest reliability (r = 0.64), and strong convergent validity with both the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10; r = 0.72) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7; r = 0.69). A weaker but significant negative correlation was found with the ER Skills Questionnaire (ERSQ; r = −0.26). Exploratory factor analysis proposed a novel two-factor model with loadings ranging from 0.39 to 0.86. Confirmatory factor analysis provided additional support for the two-factor structure, with acceptable fit indices (CFI = 0.91, TLI = 0.89, RMSEA = 0.089).

Conclusion

The DERS-16 is a sound tool for measuring ER difficulties among older South African adolescents, thus addressing the gap in such measures for this setting. Given that ER is crucial for adolescent mental health, this research underscores the need for ongoing development and validation of ER tools tailored to South African adolescents.

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南非西开普省15-18岁青少年情绪调节量表-16中英语障碍的心理测量特征

鉴于情绪调节（ER）与青少年的心理健康状况（包括抑郁和焦虑）有关，从心理测量学上健全的ER测量是至关重要的。然而，针对南非青少年的有效急诊室措施很少。本研究通过评估西开普省南非青少年的英语情绪调节困难量表-16 （DERS-16）的心理测量特性来解决这一差距。方法对西开普省12所高中的474名15-18岁的学生进行了横断面调查。该调查评估了社会人口学特征、急症、抑郁和焦虑。对DERS-16的心理测量特性进行评估，包括内部一致性、重测信度、收敛效度以及探索性和验证性因素分析。结果该量表与美国流行病学研究中心抑郁量表（CES-D-10, r = 0.72）和广泛性焦虑障碍量表（GAD-7, r = 0.69）均具有良好的内部一致性（α = 0.93）、平均重测信度（r = 0.64）和较强的收敛效度。与急诊室技能问卷（ERSQ; r = - 0.26）存在较弱但显著的负相关。探索性因子分析提出了一种新的双因子模型，其负荷范围为0.39 ~ 0.86。验证性因子分析进一步支持双因素结构，具有可接受的拟合指数（CFI = 0.91, TLI = 0.89, RMSEA = 0.089）。结论：DERS-16是衡量南非年长青少年ER困难的一种有效工具，从而解决了此类措施在该环境中的差距。鉴于急诊对青少年心理健康至关重要，这项研究强调了持续开发和验证适合南非青少年的急诊工具的必要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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