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Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-18)3

Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-18) Test

In four minutes, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-18) Test uses 18 questions to explore how you notice, understand, accept, and manage emotions. Your result highlights areas of strength and difficulty, supporting practical self-reflection about emotional awareness, coping strategies, goal focus, and behavior during intense feelings.

Questions: 184 minutes

Difficulties in Emotion Regulation: situation and reply bubbles

September 1, 2026September 1, 2026Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

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Daniel Hall Psychologist · Test reviewer

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Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

StrategiesS

Assesses how available and effective your coping strategies are for managing negative emotions.

example score10/15

10/15Mixed strategiesexample score

3 – 6Effective strategies

7 – 10Mixed strategies

11 – 15Limited strategies

A score of 10 falls in the Mixed strategies range, suggesting you use some helpful coping methods but may find them inconsistent or not effective enough in harder moments.

NonacceptanceN

Measures the degree to which a person judges, rejects, or struggles to accept their own emotional experiences.

example score10/15

10/15Some rejectionexample score

3 – 6More accepting

7 – 11Some rejection

12 – 15High rejection

A score of 10 falls in the 'Some rejection' range, suggesting a noticeable tendency to evaluate emotions negatively and have difficulty accepting them at times.

Impulse Control DifficultiesICD

Measures difficulty controlling impulsive reactions when experiencing intense emotions.

example score10/15

10/15Moderate difficultyexample score

3 – 6Low difficulty

7 – 11Moderate difficulty

12 – 15High difficulty

A score of 10 indicates a moderate level of difficulty, suggesting impulsive actions may sometimes be hard to manage during strong emotional states.

GoalsG

Measures how well a person can stay goal-focused and complete tasks when experiencing emotional distress.

example score8/15

8/15Moderate difficultyexample score

3 – 6Low difficulty

7 – 10Moderate difficulty

11 – 15High difficulty

A score of 8 suggests a moderate tendency for intense emotions to interfere with staying focused and following through on goals.

ClarityC

Measures how clearly a person can identify, label, and make sense of their emotional experiences.

example score8/15

8/15Mixed clarityexample score

3 – 7Clear awareness

8 – 11Mixed clarity

12 – 15Low clarity

A score of 8 falls in the Mixed clarity range, suggesting occasional difficulty differentiating and understanding what you are feeling.

AwarenessA

Awareness measures how well a person notices and recognizes their own emotions, with higher scores reflecting more difficulty in emotional awareness.

example score11/15

11/15Some difficultyexample score

3 – 7Good awareness

8 – 11Some difficulty

12 – 15Marked difficulty

A score of 11 suggests some difficulty noticing or recognizing emotions in the moment, which may make it harder to label feelings clearly as they arise.

Difficulties in Emotion RegulationDiER

This scale measures overall difficulties with recognizing, accepting, and managing emotions in everyday life.

example score23/90

23/90Low difficultiesexample score

18 – 35Low difficulties

36 – 62Moderate difficulties

63 – 90High difficulties

A score of 23 falls in the Low difficulties range, suggesting generally effective emotion regulation with relatively few reported problems.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People in therapy

41%OF USERS

They use it to pinpoint specific emotion-regulation struggles to guide goals and track progress in counseling or psychotherapy.

High stress or burnout

34%OF USERS

They take it when overwhelmed, irritable, or emotionally exhausted to see where emotions start to feel unmanageable day to day.

Impulsivity and mood swings

25%OF USERS

They want clarity on whether strong emotions lead to impulsive actions, avoidance, or difficulty accepting feelings without judgment.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

StrategiesS

You?

Average10.6

Typical rangeTypical9 – 12.2

Possible3 – 15

RejectionR

You?

Average11.3

Typical rangeTypical9.8 – 12.7

Possible3 – 15

ImpulsivityI

You?

Average6.6

Typical rangeTypical5.1 – 8.1

Possible3 – 15

GoalsG

You?

Average6.3

Typical rangeTypical4.6 – 8.1

Possible3 – 15

ClarityC

You?

Average6.8

Typical rangeTypical4.9 – 8.7

Possible3 – 15

AwarenessA

You?

Average7.9

Typical rangeTypical6 – 9.8

Possible3 – 15

Difficulties in Emotion Regulation ScaleDiERS

You?

Average70.9

Typical rangeTypical59.7 – 82.1

Possible18 – 90

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- Almost never
- Sometimes
- About half of the time
- Often
- Almost always
- Almost never
- Sometimes
- About half the time
- Often
- Almost always
- Almost never
- Sometimes
- About half the time
- Quite often
- Almost always

These are 3 of the 18 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-18) Test - Description and methodology of the test

emotion regulation

People who want to understand how strong feelings interfere with attention, self-control, or daily goals may find this emotion regulation questionnaire useful. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-18) Test offers a structured profile of emotional awareness, acceptance, coping, impulse control, and goal-directed functioning. This DERS-18 profile helps an individual notice patterns when reactions feel confusing, overwhelming, or difficult to manage.

What This Assessment Explores

Higher scores signal difficulty across dimensions:

Goals (3-15) measures goal pursuit: Low difficulty 3-6; Moderate difficulty 7-10; High difficulty 11-15.
Clarity (3-15) measures emotional understanding: Clear awareness 3-7; Mixed clarity 8-11; Low clarity 12-15.
Awareness (3-15) measures awareness: Good awareness 3-7; Some difficulty 8-11; Marked difficulty 12-15.
Strategies (3-15) measures coping effectiveness: Effective strategies 3-6; Mixed strategies 7-10; Limited strategies 11-15.
Nonacceptance (3-15) measures emotional rejection: More accepting 3-6; Some rejection 7-11; High rejection 12-15.
Impulse Control Difficulties (3-15) measures impulse control: Low difficulty 3-6; Moderate difficulty 7-11; High difficulty 12-15.
Difficulties in Emotion Regulation (18-90) measures emotion regulation: Low difficulties 18-35; Moderate difficulties 36-62; High difficulties 63-90.

Methodology and Scientific Basis

Each statement uses a five-point frequency response, from Almost never to Almost always, and covers feelings, focus, coping, or behavior when upset. The result displays six domain scores and one overall score. Higher values indicate greater difficulty on the relevant dimension.

The closest published reference is the DERS-18, a brief form connected to the original DERS framework developed by Gratz and Roemer. This questionnaire is conceptually consistent with that work, not an adaptation of it. The model includes awareness, clarity, acceptance, goal pursuit, strategies, and impulse control.

A respondent can use the displayed DERS-18 profile to identify emotion regulation difficulties across situations. Self-report means current mood, memory, interpretation, and candor can affect scores. The questionnaire's displayed interpretation bands organize results for reflection; they do not establish a diagnosis. Scores are best read as a structured snapshot for reflection and detailed discussion.

Literature:

Victor, S. E., & Klonsky, E. D. (2016). Validation of a Brief Version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-18) in Five Samples. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 38(4), 582-589. 10.1007/s10862-016-9547-9
Gratz, K. L., & Roemer, L. (2004). Multidimensional Assessment of Emotion Regulation and Dysregulation: Development, Factor Structure, and Initial Validation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 26, 41-54. 10.1023/B:JOBA.0000007455.08539.94

Updated: 2026-09-01