Dataset Information

Intolerance of uncertainty as a mediator of reductions in worry in a cognitive behavioral treatment program for generalized anxiety disorder.

ABSTRACT: Growing evidence suggests that intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a cognitive vulnerability that is a central feature across diverse anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Although cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to reduce IU, it remains to be established whether or not reductions in IU mediate reductions in worry. This study examined the process of change in IU and worry in a sample of 28 individuals with GAD who completed CBT. Changes in IU and worry, assessed bi-weekly during treatment, were analyzed using multilevel mediation models. Results revealed that change in IU mediated change in worry (ab = -0.20; 95% CI [-.35, -.09]), but change in worry did not mediate change in IU (ab = -0.16; 95% CI [-.06, .12]). Findings indicated that reductions in IU accounted for 59% of the reductions in worry observed over the course of treatment, suggesting that changes in IU are not simply concomitants of changes in worry. Findings support the idea that IU is a critical construct underlying GAD.

SUBMITTER: Bomyea J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4480197 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Intolerance of uncertainty as a mediator of reductions in worry in a cognitive behavioral treatment program for generalized anxiety disorder.

Bomyea J J Ramsawh H H Ball T M TM Taylor C T CT Paulus M P MP Lang A J AJ Stein M B MB

Journal of anxiety disorders 20150521

Growing evidence suggests that intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a cognitive vulnerability that is a central feature across diverse anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Although cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to reduce IU, it remains to be established whether or not reductions in IU mediate reductions in worry. This study examined the process of change in IU and worry in a sample of 28 individuals with GAD who completed CBT. Changes in IU and worry ...[more]

PMID: 26037493

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundIntolerance of uncertainty (IU) is considered as a specific risk factor in the development and maintenance of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Yet, researches have investigated the relations between IU and GAD (or worry) using total scores on self-report measures. This ignores that there are different components exist in IU and the heterogeneity of GAD symptoms. In the present study, we explored the relations among different components of IU and symptoms of GAD.MethodsA dimensional approach which take individual differences into consideration in different components of IU along a full range of normal to abnormal symptom severity levels of GAD were used in this study. Components of IU were measured by 12-item Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale and symptoms of GAD were measured by Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Questionnaire. Regularized partial-correlation network was estimated using cross-sectional data from 624 university students.ResultsFour strongest edges are between components of IU, like "Unforeseen events upset me greatly" and "It frustrates me not having all the information I need". Two strongest edges are between symptoms of GAD, like "Being so restless that it is hard to sit still" and "Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen". Symptom "Worrying too much about different things" and component "It frustrates me not having all the information I need" have the highest expected influences in the present network. In the community of IU, component "It frustrates me not having all the information I need" has the highest bridge expected influence. And in the community of GAD, symptoms "Worrying too much about different things" and "Not being able to stop or control worrying" have the highest bridge expected influence.ConclusionsThis study reveals potential pathways between different components of IU and various symptoms of GAD. Understanding how putative risk factors such as different components of IU are related to symptoms of GAD may provide some references for related preventions and interventions, such as targeting component "It frustrates me not having all the information I need" may be more effective at reducing symptoms of GAD than targeting other components of IU.

Dataset Information

Intolerance of uncertainty as a mediator of reductions in worry in a cognitive behavioral treatment program for generalized anxiety disorder.

Publications

Intolerance of uncertainty as a mediator of reductions in worry in a cognitive behavioral treatment program for generalized anxiety disorder.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets