Psychometric properties of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) in Spanish older adults

Abstract

The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) assesses nine cognitive strategies used to cope with negative events. The aim of this study was to generate validity evidences of this instrument in an older Spanish population. The Spanish version of the CERQ (CERQ-S) and self-report scales, measuring psychological well-being, depression and resilience, were administered to 305 older adults aged 65-90 (70.0 ± 4.7) residents in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, Spain. 150 participants completed the 6-month follow-up in April 2020 (during the COVID-19 pandemic). Confirmatory factor analyses supported 9-strategy structure, with an improved fit 27-item version (CERQ-S-27). Generally adequate composite reliability (CR between 0.63 and 0.84) and temporal stability (ICC between 0.38 and 0.71; p < 0.001) were found. Subscales correlated coherently with measures of depression, well-being and resilience, and T-tests indicated different use between older adults who did or did not have depressive symptoms. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that subscales predicted depressive symptoms (R 2 ¼ 0.17; p < 0.001) and psychological wellbeing after six months (R 2 ¼ 0.21; p < 0.001). Results provided evidences of concurrent, predictive and criterion validity, suggesting that the CERQ-S-27 could be useful for studying use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies among older adults and understanding their influence in ageing and mental health.

An fMRI study of cognitive reappraisal in major depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder

“…Abbreviations: BPD, borderline personality disorder; CERQ, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire; DERS, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation; HARS, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale; HCs, healthy controls; HDRS, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; MDD, major depressive disorder. a Although no across-group differences were observed in these variables, in clinical groups, these values significantly differed (one-sample t-tests) from those obtained in a population of nondepressed older adults[18]: CERQ reappraisal (lower values in clinical groups), HCs: p = 0.882 (n.s. ), BPD: p = 0.098 (trend-level), MDD: p = 0.017; CERQ rumination (higher values in all groups), HCs: p = 0.019, BPD: p < 0.0005, MDD: p = 0.001.…”

“…All participants completed the validated Spanish versions of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) to evaluate emotion dysregulation. Likewise, all subjects also completed the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale to assess severity of depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24).…”

Childhood Trauma and Current Depression Among Chinese University Students: a Moderated Mediation Model of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies and Neuroticism

“…Moreover, the higher score means that the person uses the strategy more frequently in response to a negative event [35]. CERQ has been validated for different languages and populations, for instance: adolescents aged 14-18 [36] and older aged adults 65-90 [37] in Spanish, university students in Brazilian [38], and adults with recurrent depression [39].…”

Emotion Regulation in Adolescents: Evidence of the Validity and Factor Structure of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ)

“…To evaluate these nine strategies, Garnefski et al [ 19 ] proposed the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), which is the first and only emotion regulation assessment instrument that separates cognitive regulation strategies from behavioural strategies [ 33 ]. It is one of the most widely used instruments for the assessment of emotion regulation and has shown its usefulness in different fields, such as clinical [ 34 ] or educational [ 35 , 36 ].…”

“…For example, McKinnon et al [ 45 ] reported that a five-factor model provided the best fit in an adult clinical population. In relation to the Spanish population, Carvajal et al [ 33 ] found that reducing the scale to 27 items improved model fit. Holgado-Tello et al [ 46 ] supported this 27-item version of the CERQ.…”