Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS)
Psychology: Mental HealthReliability: alpha 0.893 sample items
About this scale
A 15-item measure of perceived ability to tolerate emotional distress across four facets: tolerance, appraisal, absorption, and regulation.
Sample item(s)
“Feeling distressed or upset is unbearable to me (tolerance, reverse)”
“I can't handle feeling distressed or upset (tolerance, reverse)”
“I'll do anything to stop feeling distressed or upset (regulation, reverse for healthy coping)”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: alpha 0.89. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Free for academic use.
Source & citation
Simons, J. S., & Gaher, R. M. (2005): The Distress Tolerance Scale: Development and validation of a self-report measure. Motivation and Emotion, Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 83–102.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
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