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

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 (R² = 0.17; p < 0.001) and psychological well-being after six months (R² = 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.