Validity and Reliability of the ‘Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale’ — 16-Item Version (DERS-16) — with University Students in Ecuador

Background. Emotional regulation difficulties (ERD) are present in the Ecuadorian university student population; however, the specific assessment measures available do not allow for an efficient assessment. Objective. To validate the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale —16 Item Version (DERS-16) with Ecuadorian university students. Design. The research uses a descriptive and instrumental statistical analysis of the DERS-16 to analyze the validity of the construct, validity based with other variables (divergence) and the internal consistency of the model. 670 university students from two public universities in Ecuador (76% women and 24% men). The average age was 25.9 with a 7.1 standard deviation (SD). Results. A hierarchical factorial model with five first-order factors and one second-order general factor fit the data reasonably well. The model has adequate internal consistency and construct validity; particularly for the second-order general factor. The DERS-16 also shows divergence validity with the Academic Situation-Specific Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale (EAPESA-9). Conclusion. The DERS-16 is a consistent and reliable scale for the measurement of emotional regulation in Ecuadorian university students.