Recieved: 11/05/2025
Accepted: 02/17/2026
Published: 03/13/2026
Keywords: difficulties of emotion regulation scale; Russian validation; psychometric test; emotion dysregulation; psychological distress
Pages: 36–53
DOI: 10.11621/npj.2026.0203
Available online: 13.03.2026
Polskaya, N.A. , Razvaliaeva, A.Yu. (2026). Psychometric Validation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale in the Russian Sample. National Psychological Journal, 21(2) , 36–53. https://doi.org/10.11621/npj.2026.0203
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CopyBackground. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), developed by Gratz and Roemer, is one of the essential measures for the assessment of emotion dysregulation. The scale has been translated into various languages, though it has not been validated in Russia.
Objectives. The study aimed to validate the Difficulties of Emotion Regulation Scale in the Russian sample.
Study Participants. The overall sample was comprised of 733 participants aged 17–45, including 648 women and 85 men (Mage = 23.4, SD = 6.24).
Methods. The participants filled out the following questionnaires: The DERS by Gratz and Roemer, The Emotion dysregulation questionnaire by Polskaya and Razvaliaeva, the Russian adaptation of Gross’ Emotion Regulation Questionnaire by Pankratova and Kornienko, and the Symptom Checklist 90 — Revised as adapted by N.V. Tarabrina.
Results. The 6-factor structure of the DERS with 32 items was confirmed in the Russian sample: (1) non-acceptance of emotional responses, (2) difficulties with goal-directed behaviour while experiencing negative emotions, (3) difficulties with impulse control while experiencing negative emotions, (4) lack of awareness about one’s emotions, (5) limited access to emotion regulation strategies, and (6) lack of emotional clarity. The scales of the Russian version of the DERS showed high internal and retest reliability (Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega starting at 0.87, Spearman’s r coefficient and intraclass correlations starting at 0.7). All the scales of the DERS negatively correlated to the strategy of cognitive reappraisal, and were positively related to expressive suppression, rumination, avoidance, mentalisation difficulties and the global severity of psychopathological symptoms index. These results correspond to the general pattern of emotion dysregulation, which is characterised by the deficit of adaptive and the prevalence of dysfunctional means of self-regulation.
Conclusion. The Russian version of DERS is a reliable and valid measure which can be used to assess emotion regulation dysfunction.
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Polskaya, N.A. , Razvaliaeva, A.Yu.. Psychometric Validation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale in the Russian Sample. // National Psychological Journal 2026. 2. Pages36–53. doi: 10.11621/npj.2026.0203
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