Assessing Emotion Regulation Flexibility in Youth: The ERFQ-C As a Robust Tool for Clinical and Prevention Research

Introduction: Emotion regulation flexibility (ERF; i.e., the ability to adapt regulatory strategies to contextual demands) is emerging as a promising transdiagnostic protective factor against psychopathology across the lifespan. However, research in youth remains limited by the lack of age-appropriate instruments. This study aimed to validate the Emotion Regulation Flexibility Questionnaire for Children (ERFQ-C) and investigate the mediating role of perceived flexibility between emotion malleability beliefs (i.e., viewing emotions as changeable) and youth’s well-being, providing a robust measurement foundation for future research. Methods: We recruited 346 children (aged 9-12) who completed the self-report ERFQ-C (adapted from an adult measure), alongside scales assessing beliefs about the malleability of positive and negative emotions, and school-related well-being. Its psychometric properties were evaluated using Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Rasch analysis (RA). A path analysis tested the mediating role of ERF between malleability beliefs and well-being. Results: The ERFQ-C demonstrated a robust one-dimensional structure and measurement invariance across sex and school level. RA confirmed monotonicity, homogeneity, unidimensionality, local independence, absence of differential item functioning, excellent item/person fit, and adequate targeting, allowing the conversion of ordinal scores into precise interval-level measures. The interval scale obtained proves to be capable of effectively discriminating between subjects with different levels of the latent trait. Furthermore, path analysis indicated that beliefs about the malleability of both positive and negative emotions were positively associated with ERF. Crucially, perceived flexibility fully mediated the relationship between malleability beliefs and well-being. Discussion: The ERFQ-C proved to be a psychometrically sound, Rasch-validated tool. While currently validated on a community sample, it offers a reliable instrument for future research including clinical populations. Findings suggest that children viewing emotions as malleable exhibit greater perceived ERF, which in turn is associated with better school-related well-being. Consequently, promoting ERF may represent a crucial target for clinical and preventive interventions in youth.