Self-Assessment
Distress Tolerance Scale
Inspired by Simons & Gaher's DTS Research
How well can you sit with emotional discomfort? This 15-question self-assessment measures your perceived ability to handle distress across four areas: tolerance, absorption, appraisal, and regulation.
Answer based on how you are in general, not just today.
Please answer all questions on this page to continue.
Understanding Distress Tolerance Research
Distress tolerance is a well-studied concept in psychology. Here is the research behind this assessment and how we built it.
From the Research
"Distress tolerance has been referred to as (a) the perceived capacity… and (b) the behavioral act of withstanding distressing internal states…"
— Leyro, T. M., Zvolensky, M. J., & Bernstein, A. (2010). Distress tolerance and psychopathological symptoms and disorders: A review. Psychological Bulletin, 136(4), 576–600.
Distress tolerance is your perceived ability to handle negative emotions without becoming overwhelmed or needing to escape immediately. It is separate from how much distress you feel right now.
This self-report measure captures how you believe you handle distress. Research shows that perceived tolerance and actual behavioral persistence under stress can differ. A low score does not mean you will always avoid or break down. It means distress currently feels harder to manage.
How distress tolerance plays out
From the Research
"The Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) contains four first-order factors… indicators of a single second-order general distress tolerance factor."
— Simons, J. S. & Gaher, R. M. (2005). The Distress Tolerance Scale: Development and Validation. Motivation and Emotion, 29, 83–102.
The widely cited model describes distress tolerance as one overall capacity, made up of four connected facets. Research across multiple samples and languages supports this structure, though the facets tend to be highly correlated with each other.
| Facet | What it captures |
|---|---|
| Tolerance | Can you endure uncomfortable emotions without feeling like you're falling apart? |
| Absorption | Does distress take over your attention and thinking, or can you stay focused? |
| Appraisal | Do you view distress as normal and manageable, or as dangerous and shameful? |
| Regulation | Can you pause before reacting, or do you feel compelled to immediately escape the feeling? |
From the Research
"There are four components… tolerance; appraisal; absorption; and regulation."
— Leyro, T. M. et al. (2011). Distress Tolerance Scale: A confirmatory factor analysis among daily cigarette smokers. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 33(1), 47–57.
This assessment is a research-inspired adaptation, not the official Distress Tolerance Scale. We built it by studying the canonical four-facet model introduced by Simons & Gaher in 2005 and validated across multiple populations and languages since then.
The original DTS items are copyrighted. Rather than reproducing them, we wrote 15 new items that map to the same four facets. This means scores from our tool are not interchangeable with published DTS scores. They are best used for personal reflection and identifying areas for growth.
Design choices we made
- All items scored in the same direction (higher = more tolerance). The original scale uses reverse-coded items, which Rasch analysis across countries has flagged as a source of misfit.
- Mean scoring (1–5) per subscale and overall, consistent with common practice in published DTS research.
- No clinical cutoffs. The research literature treats distress tolerance as a continuous variable, not a diagnostic category.
Reliability of the underlying model
From the Research
"Cronbach's alphas were .83 (Tolerance), .89 (Absorption), .84 (Appraisal), and .83 (Regulation)."
— Sandín, B. et al. (2017). Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Distress Tolerance Scale. Psicothema, 29(3), 421–428.
These reliability figures are from the official instrument, not our adaptation. Newly worded items can change how a scale performs, so our scores should be treated as indicative.
How Does This Compare?
Several of our assessments touch on emotions and coping. Here is how they differ.
The Distress Tolerance Scale focuses specifically on whether you feel able to tolerate distress, not on your current distress level or your regulation strategies. If you want to explore further, try one of the assessments linked above.
Common Questions
No. The official DTS was developed by Simons & Gaher (2005) and its items are copyrighted. This is an independently written adaptation that measures the same four facets (tolerance, absorption, appraisal, regulation) using all-original positively-worded items. Scores are not interchangeable with published DTS norms.
The original DTS uses mostly negatively-worded items (e.g., "Feeling distressed or upset is unbearable to me"). Our version uses all positively-worded items (e.g., "I can stay with uncomfortable feelings without feeling like I'm falling apart"), which research suggests reduces response bias. Both measure the same four-facet model of distress tolerance.
About This Assessment
This is a research-inspired self-assessment for personal reflection. It is not the official Distress Tolerance Scale and is not a clinical or diagnostic tool.
Based on the four-facet model from Simons & Gaher (2005). Items are newly written and scores are not interchangeable with published DTS norms. We are not affiliated with the original authors.
Measures perceived capacity to tolerate distress (self-report). Does not measure actual behavioral persistence under stress, and does not diagnose any condition.
If you are in crisis or need immediate help:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988, US)
Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741)