Psychometric Properties of the Persian version of the Heidelberg Form for Emotion Regulation Strategies (HFERST)

Background and Objectives: This study aims to measure the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Heidelberg form for emotion regulation strategies (HFERST). Methods: In this study conducted from November to December 2022, participants were 333 people aged 18-60 years in Iran who were selected by a convenience sampling method. To evaluate the convergent and divergent validity of the Persian HFERST, the acceptance and action questionnaire-second edition, the difficulty in emotion regulation scale, and the depression, anxiety and stress scale were used. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest method. The data analysis was done in SPSSsoftware, version 25 and LISREL version 8.8. Results: The results of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the 8-factor solution of the questionnaire. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the subscales of rumination, reappraisal, acceptance, problem solving, suppression of emotional expression, suppression of emotional experiences, avoidance and social support were 0.88, 0.87, 0.90, 0.91, 0.84, 0.89, 0.92, and 0.90, respectively. In addition, the four-week test-retest reliability for the mentioned subscales were 0.83, 0.80, 0.85, 0.89, 0.80, 0.82, 0.86, and 0.91, respectively. Conclusion: The Persian HFERST is a reliable and valid scale for measuring emotion regulation strategies in Iranian samples.