Emotion Regulation (DERS-18)

The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-18 (Victor & Klonsky, a short version of the DERS by Gratz and Roemer) measures difficulties in emotion regulation across six facets: awareness (do you notice feelings), clarity (do you understand what you feel), acceptance (do you not feel ashamed of feelings), goals (can you act under an emotion), impulse control (do you hold behavior), and strategies (do you have access to ways to feel better). It's a core target of CBT, DBT, and ACT: where exactly contact with an emotion "breaks," that's where the work is. A higher score means more difficulties.

Before you start

This is a measure of difficulties in emotion regulation, not a diagnosis. A high score on a facet points to a concrete target for work, not to a "problem with emotions" in general. The test shows where contact with an emotion breaks more often — that's a starting point for therapy, not a label.