Intolerance of Uncertainty, Fear of Anxiety, and Adolescent Worry

Abstract

A 5 year, ten wave longitudinal study of 338 adolescents assessed the association between two forms of cognitive vulnerability (intolerance of uncertainty and fear of anxiety) and worry. Multilevel mediational analyses revealed a bidirectional and reciprocal relation between intolerance of uncertainty and worry in which change in one variable partially explained change in the other. Fear of anxiety and worry also showed evidence of a bidirectional relation, although change in fear of anxiety had a much weaker mediational effect on change in worry than vice versa. The findings show that relative to fear of anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty may play a greater role in the etiology of worry in adolescents.

Well-Being and Generalized Anxiety in Japanese Undergraduates: A Prospective Cohort Study

“…Only the fear of anxiety, however, predicted unique variance in GAD symptom severity when accounting for the effects of worry and the fear of other emotions. The relationship between fear of anxiety and generalized anxiety symptoms was also revealed in a 5-year prospective cohort study (Dugas et al 2012) and a laboratorybased manipulation of fear of anxiety led to corresponding changes in worry (Buhr and Dugas 2009). These findings may also indicate that fear of anxiety may be causally related to GAD symptoms.…”

Intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety sensitivity, health anxiety, and anxiety disorder symptoms in youth

“…A 5-year, ten wave longitudinal study of adolescents exploring the temporal relation between IU and fear of anxiety and worry during adolescence indicated a bi-directional mediation between IU and worry (Dugas et al, 2012). The results suggested IU and worry impact each other uniformly over time, which contrasts results from adult samples that suggested that change in IU leads to change in worry (i.e., Grenier & Ladouceur, 2004;Ladouceur, Gosselin, & Dugas, 2000).…”

“…The notion that difficulty tolerating uncertainty plays a critical role in the etiology of GAD and chronic worry has been widely accepted for some time (Dugas et al, 2004); however, only recently have researchers extended examinations of IU and its associations with particular types of psychopathology to include children and adolescents (i.e., Barahmand, 2008;Comer et al, 2009;Dugas, Laugesen, & Bukowski, 2012;Fialko, Bolten, & Perrin, 2012;Krain et al, 2006;Krain et al, 2008;Laugesen, Dugas, & Bukowski, 2003;Read, Comer, & Kendall, 2013).…”

“…Collectively, the extant research with child and adolescent samples has established an association between IU and anxiety, worry, and anxiety disorders; however, child and adolescent results have occasionally diverged from adult sample results (i.e., Dugas et al 2012;Fialko et al, 2012;Krain et al, 2006). Research with adult samples has also established an association between IU and the associated construct of health anxiety (e.g., Boelen & Carleton, 2012;Fergus & Bardeen, 2013;Norton, Sexton, Walker, & Norton, 2005;Sexton, Norton, Walker, & Norton, 2003), an association that has yet to be explored in children and adolescents.…”

Emotional intensity reduces later generalized anxiety disorder symptoms when fear of anxiety and negative problem-solving appraisal are low

“…Because emotional intensity is closely related to neuroticism (Mennin et al, 2007), it is possible that the cross-sectional correlation of emotional intensity with worrying includes the effect of worrying on emotional intensity. Dugas, Laugesen, and Bukowski (2012) followed adolescents for 5 years and found a reciprocal relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and fear of anxiety on one hand, and worry on the other. Based on this finding, Dugas et al recommended controlling for symptom severity in examining etiological factors.…”