Intolerance of Uncertainty, Hypochondriacal Concerns, Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms, and Worry
Abstract
Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) has been found to be involved in several anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Few studies have examined the role of IU in health anxiety (HA)/hypochondriacal concerns (HC). We conducted two studies exploring the associations between IU and HA/HC. The first study included undergraduates (n = 114) and indicated an association between IU and several HA/HC indices. When controlling for neuroticism, worry about illness was the single index of HA/HC that remained associated with IU. In the second study among bereaved adults (n = 126), IU was associated with one index of HA/HC but not when neuroticism and anxiety sensitivity were controlled. In both studies, IU was found to be more strongly associated with OCD symptoms and worry than with HA/HC.
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Greater health anxiety is associated with higher intolerance of uncertainty.
“higher levels of intolerance of uncertainty (Boelen & Carleton, 2012; Fergus & Bardeen, 2013; Fetzner et al., 2014)”
From An examination of mindfulness skills in terms of affect tolerance among individuals with elevated levels of health anxiety. (2018) · cites this paper as Boelen & Carleton, 2012
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“IU has been involved in other anxiety disorders as well, including panic disorder (Dugas et al., 2005), obsessivecompulsive disorder (OCD; Holaway et al., 2006), and social anxiety (Boelen and Reijntjes, 2009; Carleton et al., 2010).”
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- Authors
- Boelen, P. A., & Carleton, R. N.
- Affiliations
- Utrecht University (NL)
- University of Regina (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Boelen, Paul A.
- Venue
- Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease
- Published
- 2012-03
- Volume
- 200
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 208-213
- ISSN
- 0022-3018 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1983154413
- Cited by
- 90
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 7.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Keywords
- intolerance of uncertainty, health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, worry, neuroticism, anxiety sensitivity, bereavement, generalized anxiety disorder
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders, Compulsive Behavior, Female, Humans, Hypochondriasis, Male, Middle Aged, Obsessive Behavior, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Surveys and Questionnaires, Uncertainty
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