Trait versus situation-specific intolerance of uncertainty in a clinical sample with anxiety and depressive disorders

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) has been most heavily implicated in the development and maintenance of generalised anxiety disorder; however, recent research has supported the transdiagnostic conceptualisation of IU by demonstrating that IU contributes to a broad array of symptoms associated with mu...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mahoney, A., McEvoy, Peter
Format: Journal Article
Published: Routledge 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/4028
_version_ 1848744398840397824
author Mahoney, A.
McEvoy, Peter
author_facet Mahoney, A.
McEvoy, Peter
author_sort Mahoney, A.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) has been most heavily implicated in the development and maintenance of generalised anxiety disorder; however, recent research has supported the transdiagnostic conceptualisation of IU by demonstrating that IU contributes to a broad array of symptoms associated with multiple anxiety and depressive disorders. The aim of this study was to examine IU firstly as a trait variable and secondly in reference to a regularly occurring, diagnostically relevant situation in a large clinical sample (N ¼ 218). A measure of situation-specific IU (the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale–Situation-Specific Version; IUS-SS) is presented. The IUS-SS was found to have a unitary factor structure and high internal consistency. Participants reported significantly more situation-specific IU compared to trait IU. Discriminant validity was indicated by lack of significant relationships with measures of extraversion and alcohol use. Supporting the convergent validity and transdiagnostic nature of the scale, the IUS-SS was positively associated with neuroticism and symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder and social phobia, and explained unique variance in symptoms of depression and panic disorder above and beyond trait IU. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T06:00:50Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-4028
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T06:00:50Z
publishDate 2012
publisher Routledge
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-40282017-02-28T01:25:25Z Trait versus situation-specific intolerance of uncertainty in a clinical sample with anxiety and depressive disorders Mahoney, A. McEvoy, Peter cognitive behaviour therapy anxiety transdiagnostic intolerance of uncertainty depression Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) has been most heavily implicated in the development and maintenance of generalised anxiety disorder; however, recent research has supported the transdiagnostic conceptualisation of IU by demonstrating that IU contributes to a broad array of symptoms associated with multiple anxiety and depressive disorders. The aim of this study was to examine IU firstly as a trait variable and secondly in reference to a regularly occurring, diagnostically relevant situation in a large clinical sample (N ¼ 218). A measure of situation-specific IU (the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale–Situation-Specific Version; IUS-SS) is presented. The IUS-SS was found to have a unitary factor structure and high internal consistency. Participants reported significantly more situation-specific IU compared to trait IU. Discriminant validity was indicated by lack of significant relationships with measures of extraversion and alcohol use. Supporting the convergent validity and transdiagnostic nature of the scale, the IUS-SS was positively associated with neuroticism and symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder and social phobia, and explained unique variance in symptoms of depression and panic disorder above and beyond trait IU. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/4028 Routledge restricted
spellingShingle cognitive behaviour therapy
anxiety
transdiagnostic
intolerance of uncertainty
depression
Mahoney, A.
McEvoy, Peter
Trait versus situation-specific intolerance of uncertainty in a clinical sample with anxiety and depressive disorders
title Trait versus situation-specific intolerance of uncertainty in a clinical sample with anxiety and depressive disorders
title_full Trait versus situation-specific intolerance of uncertainty in a clinical sample with anxiety and depressive disorders
title_fullStr Trait versus situation-specific intolerance of uncertainty in a clinical sample with anxiety and depressive disorders
title_full_unstemmed Trait versus situation-specific intolerance of uncertainty in a clinical sample with anxiety and depressive disorders
title_short Trait versus situation-specific intolerance of uncertainty in a clinical sample with anxiety and depressive disorders
title_sort trait versus situation-specific intolerance of uncertainty in a clinical sample with anxiety and depressive disorders
topic cognitive behaviour therapy
anxiety
transdiagnostic
intolerance of uncertainty
depression
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/4028