Why Can't I Control My Emotions?
Free DERS-16 emotion regulation screening. 16 questions, 4 minutes. Measures six aspects of emotion regulation: awareness, clarity, goals, impulse control, non-acceptance, and coping strategies.
Before You Start
- This is a screening tool, not a diagnostic test
- All answers are processed in your browser only
- No data is stored or sent to any server
- Results can be copied to share with your clinician
What Is the DERS-16 Emotion Regulation Assessment?
The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16) is a brief version of the widely used 36-item DERS, developed by Professor Kim Gratz. It measures how well you can understand, accept, and manage your emotions during times of distress. The DERS-16 assesses five key areas: clarity (understanding what you are feeling), awareness (paying attention to emotions), acceptance (not judging yourself for feeling a certain way), ability to engage in goal-directed behaviour when upset, and access to effective regulation strategies.
Signs You Might Benefit From This Screening
You might benefit from this screening if you often feel overwhelmed by your emotions, struggle to identify what you are actually feeling, react impulsively when upset, find it hard to calm down once distressed, or feel that your emotions control you rather than the other way around. Difficulty with emotion regulation is common and is linked to conditions including anxiety, depression, borderline personality traits, trauma, and eating disorders. Understanding your pattern is the first step toward change.
How the DERS-16 Works
The DERS-16 consists of 16 statements about how you respond to emotional distress, each rated from 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always). Total scores range from 16 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater difficulty with emotion regulation. While there are no universal clinical cut-offs, scores above 49 are generally considered elevated and scores above 58 suggest significant emotion regulation difficulties that may benefit from therapeutic support.
What Happens After the Screening?
If your DERS-16 score suggests difficulties with emotion regulation, share your results with a psychologist, counsellor, or creative arts therapist. Evidence-based approaches including dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), emotion-focused therapy, and creative arts therapy can help develop emotion regulation skills. Creative arts therapy is particularly effective for emotion regulation because art, music, and movement provide safe, non-verbal ways to explore and process difficult emotions. Need support right now? Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7), Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636.