Intolerance of Uncertainty Relates to Anxiety and Depression Through Negative Coping and Worry: Evidence from a Repeated-Measures Study

Exploring the relationship between coping styles and well-being among Chinese university students: A longitudinal study based on the transactional stress model

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, university students were exposed to increased stress, which significantly affected their well-being. This study examines the coping mechanisms employed by Chinese university students during this crisis, with a particular focus on the potential protective role of coping flexibility in maintaining their well-being. Using the transactional stress model and the dual-process theory of coping flexibility, this longitudinal study analyzed the responses of 206 Chinese university students at three measurement points in late 2022. The findings suggest that disruptions in daily life during the pandemic likely led students to engage in problematic internet use as a coping strategy, which subsequently led to reduced well-being. However, the study also shows that coping flexibility plays a crucial protective role in maintaining students' well-being. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions aimed at enhancing coping flexibility among university students, especially in the evolving post-pandemic landscape.

Emotion regulation mediates the relation between intolerance of uncertainty and emotion difficulties: A longitudinal investigation

Intolerance of uncertainty has been proposed as a transdiagnostic factor in emotional disorders. Despite comprehensive empirical evidence demonstrating the association between intolerance of uncertainty and emotional disorders, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Drawing on theoretical frameworks and empirical studies, the current study proposed that emotion regulation emerges as a potential mechanism. We explored the connections among intolerance of uncertainty, eight emotion regulation strategies (both adaptive and maladaptive), and emotional difficulties (specifically anxiety and depression) using a three-wave longitudinal approach (N = 341). Our findings revealed that heightened intolerance of uncertainty predicted increased anxiety but not depression over time. Greater intolerance of uncertainty significantly predicted elevated levels of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies including experiential avoidance, thought suppression, rumination, and reassurance-seeking. Adaptive strategies (i.e., mindfulness, cognitive reappraisal, problem-solving) predicted lower anxiety and/or depression whereas maladaptive emotion regulation strategy rumination predicted greater levels of anxiety and depression. Surprisingly, thought suppression predicted lower levels of anxiety and depression. More importantly, our analysis showed that both rumination and thought suppression served as significant mediators in the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and both anxiety and depression. These results hold implications for future interventions, emphasising rumination and thought suppression as potential targets for interventions aimed at alleviating emotional difficulties in individuals with intolerance of uncertainty.

Intolerance of uncertainty on distress and impairment: The mediating role of repetitive negative thinking

Repetitive negative thinking and intolerance of uncertainty are risk and maintenance factors for emotional disorders. Although emerging evidence suggests that intolerance of uncertainty predicts increases in distress through repetitive negative thinking, these relationships have yet to be investigated among veterans. The present study examines if repetitive negative thinking mediates the relationships of intolerance of uncertainty with stress, disordered symptoms and impairment among a mixed clinical sample of veterans. Two hundred and forty-four treatment-seeking veterans with diagnoses of major depressive disorder, panic disorder, or posttraumatic stress disorder completed measures of intolerance of uncertainty, repetitive negative thinking, stress, impairment, depression, panic, and posttraumatic stress prior to receiving treatment. Mediation models revealed indirect effects of intolerance of uncertainty through repetitive negative thinking on stress and impairment in the full sample, and on disordered symptoms in subsamples with major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder. Conversely, intolerance of uncertainty did not have direct or indirect effects on disordered symptoms in a panic disorder subsample. Findings suggest that repetitive negative thinking and intolerance of uncertainty uniquely contribute to stress, impairment, and disordered symptoms, but repetitive negative thinking, may, in part, drive intolerance of uncertainty's contribution to emotional disorders. Interventions for repetitive negative thinking might improve the efficacy of existing transdiagnostic treatment protocols. Cross-sectional data is a limitation of the present study. Prospective designs in civilian samples can better establish the temporality of these relationships and if they are generalizable to the larger population.

A moderated chain mediation model examining the relation between smartphone addiction and intolerance of uncertainty among master's and PhD students

The theories of relational regulation and compensatory Internet use suggest that intolerance of uncertainty influences smartphone addiction (SPA), which in turn is influenced by other aspects. This study used previous results to examine how intolerance of uncertainty affects SPA in PhD and master's degree programs. A convenience sample comprising 1727 master's and PhD students (99.9 %; 50.7 % female; Mage = 27.71; SD = 3.80; range = 21-43) was recruited. Using established questionnaires, we measured SPA, anxiety, positive coping style, perceived social support, and intolerance of uncertainty. The results demonstrated that intolerance of uncertainty positively affects SPA in terms of predictive power. Furthermore, anxiety and positive coping style mediate that link in a cascade fashion. A greater SPA indicates that the individual is less likely to use a positive coping style, has a higher anxiety level, and has a lower tolerance for uncertainty. While thinking about how intolerance of uncertainty affects anxiety and positive coping style, perceived social support mediates the relationship. Intolerance of uncertainty has less impact on anxiety and positive coping style when perceived social support is high. These results indicate the possibility of examining SPA prevention and intervention from several angles. Therefore, emotional regulation, which modifies anxiety and the tendency to use a positive coping style, may reduce the impact of intolerance of uncertainty on SPA. Another successful strategy for reducing smartphone addiction is to provide social support from loved ones and the community at large.

Is everything really okay?: Using ecological momentary assessment to evaluate daily co-fluctuations in anxiety and reassurance seeking

OBJECTIVE

Reassurance seeking, a behavior prominent in anxiety disorders and depression, is associated with poorer quality of interpersonal relationships and acts as a mechanism of stress generation. However, little research has elucidated momentary associations between state anxiety and reassurance seeking behaviors.

METHOD

In a sample of 104 university-affiliated young adults, we sought to replicate cross-sectional associations of reassurance seeking with trait anxiety (Aim 1) and intolerance of uncertainty (Aim 2). We then used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to evaluate concurrent fluctuations in daily anxiety and reassurance seeking across 14 consecutive days (Aim 3). Hierarchical multi-level models for intensive longitudinal data were used to evaluate the relationship between state anxiety and daily reassurance seeking.

RESULTS

In baseline analyses, trait anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty were significantly associated with greater trait reassurance seeking, controlling for depression. Analyses of the EMA data showed that daily reassurance seeking behaviors fluctuated concurrently with daily anxiety during the 14 days, while controlling for trait anxiety and depression.

CONCLUSION

Given evidence of concurrent fluctuations between state anxiety and reassurance seeking, the behavior should be considered as a potential target in treatment for anxiety disorders.

The relationship between perseverative thinking, proactive control, and inhibition in psychological distress: a study in a women's cohort

Cognitive control is a core feature of several mental disorders. A recent account poses that health problems may derive from proactive forms of cognitive control that maintain stress representation over time. The working hypothesis of the present study is that psychological distress is caused by the tendency to select a particular maladaptive self-regulation strategy over time, namely perseverative thinking, rather than by transient stimulus-response patterns. To test this hypothesis, we asked 84 women to carry out a battery of standardized questionnaires regarding their tendency to undertake perseverative thinking and their level of psychological distress, followed by cognitive tasks measuring the tendency to use proactive versus reactive control modality and disinhibition. Through a series of mediation analyses, we demonstrate that the tendency to use proactive control correlates with psychological distress and that this relation is mediated by perseverative thinking. Moreover, we show that the relation between low inhibitory control and psychological stress is more strongly mediated by perseverative thinking than impulsiveness, a classical construct that focuses on more transient reactions to stimuli. The present results underline the importance of considering psychological distress as the consequence of a maladaptive way of applying control over time, rather than the result of a general deficit in cognitive control abilities.

The Role of Coping Styles in Mediating the Dark Triad and Bullying: An Analysis of Gender Difference

Recently, the phenomenon of school bullying has gradually become a primary focus of social attention. To reduce the occurrence of bullying, it is important that we explore the psychological mechanisms of students with bullying tendencies. We conducted mediation models through a multi-group analysis to verify the mediating effect of coping styles on the relationship between dark personality traits and bullying, and further explored the differences in this mechanism between male and female groups. The participants were 772 high school students recruited from a middle school in Tianjin, China. They completed a set of self-reported measurements including the Dirty Dozen (DD), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), and Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ). All the measurement instruments have acceptable reliability and validity. The results of the multi-group multiple models indicated that (1) there are significant gender differences in bullying behavior, with males scoring significantly higher than females. Moreover, the gender difference was only reflected in proactive aggression, in which males had higher scores than females; there was no significant gender difference in reactive aggression. (2) In the group of females, both negative and positive coping styles partially moderated the relationship between the Dark Triad and bullying. However, in the group of males, only negative coping styles partially mediated the relationship between the Dark Triad and bullying. (3) The above results also held for proactive aggression. In conclusion, our study highlights the gender differences in the mediating effect of coping styles on the relationship between the Dark Triad and bullying and proactive aggression. These findings contribute to better shared understanding of gender-related aspects in school bullying.

The Moderating Role of Intolerance of Uncertainty in the Relationship Between Health Anxiety and Pandemic-Related Stress

Background and Objectives

Global pandemics, including COVID-19, have a significant effect on mental health, and this may be especially true for individuals with health anxiety. Although health anxiety is related to both pandemic-related fears and perceptions of health risks, there is a paucity of research on individual difference variables that might exert an influence on these relationships. The present study examined intolerance of uncertainty (IU) as a potential moderator of the relationship between health anxiety and COVID-related stress, and the relationship between health anxiety and perceived risk of contracting COVID.

Design and Methods

A nationally representative sample of North American adults (N = 204) completed self-report measures of health anxiety, IU, COVID-related stress, and perceived risk of contracting COVID.

Results

Prospective IU moderated the positive relationship between health anxiety and COVID-related stress, as the relationship was strengthened at average and higher levels of prospective IU. Neither IU subscale moderated the relationship between health anxiety and perceived risk.

Conclusion

These results suggest that individuals with elevated health anxiety and high prospective IU may be at higher risk of experiencing COVID-related stress, illuminating the interplay of risk factors that place anxious populations at an increased risk of experiencing stress during acute health risks.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10608-023-10365-w.

Relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and fear of death: the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty among a Turkish sample

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased the salience of death in our lives. The aim of this study is to uncover potential mechanisms underlying fear of death during the pandemic. A sample of 478 volunteers (312 females and 166 males) aged 18 years and older participated voluntarily in this study. Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, Multidimensional Mortality Awareness Measure, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, and Personal Information Form were used for data collection. The mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty in the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and fear of death was determined using the bootstrapping method. COVID-19 anxiety was associated with increased intolerance of uncertainty, and fear of death. Intolerance of uncertainty was associated with increased fear of death. Furthermore, intolerance of uncertainty partially mediated the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and fear of death. Results suggest that intolerance of uncertainty is a critical variable in the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and fear of death. The current research adds to our knowledge of fear of death by investigating COVID-19 anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty. Additionally, this study underlies and contributes to the consideration of psychological health of individuals during the pandemic process. The results are discussed within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.