Intolerance of uncertainty in body dysmorphic disorder

• The relationship between IU and BDD was examined via three studies.
• IU was associated with BDD symptom severity in undergraduate and community samples.
• A clinical BDD group reported higher IU than healthy controls; this may be related to depression.
• High IU was related to greater functional impairment in a clinical BDD sample.

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a transdiagnostic construct associated with several anxiety and related disorders. Three studies were conducted to explore the potential relationship between IU and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Study 1 revealed a positive relationship between IU and BDD symptoms above symptoms of anxiety and depression in an unselected student sample (N = 88). Study 2 demonstrated a similar relationship between IU and BDD symptoms above negative affectivity and intolerance of ambiguity in a community sample (N = 116). Study 3 found that a clinical BDD sample (N = 23) reported greater IU than healthy controls (N = 20), though this relationship was accounted for by symptoms of anxiety and depression. Greater IU predicted functional impairment in the clinical sample above BDD symptoms and past-week anxiety and depression. The observed relationship between IU and BDD symptoms provides preliminary support for the relevance of IU to this population.