Re-refining the Measurement of Distress Intolerance

The current study aims to present a parsimonious measure of five factors of distress intolerance as proposed by Zvolensky, Vujanovic, Bernstein, and Leyro (2010). Exploratory (n = 511) and confirmatory (n = 157) factor analytic studies of items from five established measures of distress intolerance suggest a 20-item measure representing five dimensions of distress intolerance (uncertainty, ambiguity, physical discomfort, frustration, and negative emotion). A comparison of latent factor models suggests that a bifactor model may present the best fit to the data, reflecting the identification of a general factor of distress intolerance while also recognizing the multidimensionality of the five group factors. The current findings suggest a parsimonious measure of five factors of distress intolerance, though further research may consider method and measurement biases and the convergent and discriminant validity of the subscales.