Intolerance of Uncertainty and Emotion Regulation in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The Role of Reappraisal and Suppression.

Abstract

To explore the correlation of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and emotion regulation (ER) in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a total of 108 GAD patients and 115 healthy participants were recruited. The intolerance of uncertainty scale (IUS) was used to evaluate the level of IU. The emotion regulation questionnaire (ERQ) was used to evaluate participants' preference for emotion regulation strategies. The Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) and generalized anxiety disorder scale (GAD-7) were used to assess the degree of anxiety symptoms. Spearman correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were performed on participants' scores. The scores of the IUS subscales, ERQ subscales, and HAMA in the GAD group were different from those in healthy controls (HC group) (p ≤ 0.001). IUS subscales were correlated with ERQ subscales, and inhibitory IU was significantly correlated with expression suppression strategies (p < 0.01). The level of IU is correlated with the selection of emotion regulation strategies in patients with GAD. Moderating effect analysis shows that emotion regulation strategies partially moderate the relationship between IU level and anxiety symptoms. This study underscores the critical role of intolerance of uncertainty and emotion regulation in shaping anxiety severity in GAD, highlighting the potential for targeted interventions that address both cognitive and emotional dimensions.