Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
902760 Body Image 2016 9 Pages PDF
Abstract

•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.

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