The relations between different factors of intolerance of uncertainty and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder: a network analysis

Background: Intolerance 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 two different factors exist in IU, and clinical heterogeneity and differential relations among symptoms of GAD. In the present study, we explored the relations among different factors of IU and symptoms of GAD. Methods: : A dimensional approach which take individual differences into consideration in different factors of IU along a full range of normal to abnormal symptom severity levels of GAD were used in this study. Unregularized partial-correlation networks were estimated using cross-sectional data from 624 university students. Factors of IU were measured by 12-item Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale and symptoms of GAD were measured by Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Questionnaire. Results: : Five edges between two factors of IU and symptoms of GAD, including edges are between “prospective anxiety” and “nervousness or anxiety”, between “prospective anxiety” and “worry too much”, between “inhibitory anxiety” and “uncontrollable worry”, between “inhibitory anxiety” and “worry too much”, and between “inhibitory anxiety” and “restlessness”. The symptom “worry too much” had the highest strength centrality in the present network. In the community of IU, factor “inhibitory anxiety” has the higher bridge strength than factor “prospective anxiety”. And in the community of GAD symptoms, symptom “worry too much” has the higher bridge strength than other symptoms. Conclusions: : This study reveals the underlying relationship between factors of IU and various symptoms of GAD. These findings may provide some references for related preventions and interventions, such as targeting “worry too much” may minimize the level of both IU and GAD symptoms and focusing on “inhibitory anxiety” may be more effective at reducing symptoms of GAD than focusing on “prospective anxiety”.