BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Research suggests a relationship between intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), though this has been limited to self-report measures of OCD symptoms. The current investigation examined the relationship between IU and multiple symptom domains of OCD using self-report and in vivo assessments of OC symptoms. METHODS: Five separate studies are presented in which undergraduate students (N=603) were administered a self-report measure of IU and tasks related to either ordering and arranging, checking, washing, contamination avoidance, or neutralization. RESULTS: Intolerance of uncertainty was found to be significantly related to each self-report measure of the OCD symptom domains (ps < .01). Further, IU was predictive of performance on all in vivo tasks (ps < .05) except one concerning neutralizing/harm-related obsessions. LIMITATIONS: This study relied on an unselected sample and was correlational in design. CONCLUSIONS: The current study demonstrates that IU is related to multiple OC symptom dimensions. Future experimental research is warranted to evaluate the causal role of IU in OCD.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Research suggests a relationship between intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), though this has been limited to self-report measures of OCD symptoms. The current investigation examined the relationship between IU and multiple symptom domains of OCD using self-report and in vivo assessments of OC symptoms. METHODS: Five separate studies are presented in which undergraduate students (N=603) were administered a self-report measure of IU and tasks related to either ordering and arranging, checking, washing, contamination avoidance, or neutralization. RESULTS: Intolerance of uncertainty was found to be significantly related to each self-report measure of the OCD symptom domains (ps < .01). Further, IU was predictive of performance on all in vivo tasks (ps < .05) except one concerning neutralizing/harm-related obsessions. LIMITATIONS: This study relied on an unselected sample and was correlational in design. CONCLUSIONS: The current study demonstrates that IU is related to multiple OC symptom dimensions. Future experimental research is warranted to evaluate the causal role of IU in OCD.
Authors: Kevin Hilbert; Daniel S Pine; Markus Muehlhan; Ulrike Lueken; Susann Steudte-Schmiedgen; Katja Beesdo-Baum Journal: Psychiatry Res Date: 2015-10-13 Impact factor: 3.222