Intolerance of Uncertainty and Mindfulness as Determinants of Anxiety and Depression in Female Students

Bearing in mind the characteristics of an academic setting, as well as the developmental tasks young people inevitably face, there is a need to identify and study the factors that play an important role in the development and maintenance of psychological distress among college students. One factor that has emerged as crucial for the development of both anxiety and depression is the intolerance of uncertainty. On the other hand, there appears to be mounting evidence that mindfulness is an important factor that can be beneficial for the psychological health of college students. Taking this into consideration, the purpose of the current study was to determine the contribution of the intolerance of uncertainty and mindfulness in explaining the symptoms of depression and anxiety in a sample of female college students (n = 282) whose average age was 21. The results indicated that students had moderate levels of anxiety and depression. Additionally, they were, on average, intolerant of uncertainty and mindfulness. Two hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the intolerance of uncertainty and mindfulness significantly predict both anxiety and depression in female students, and that mindfulness partially mediates the relationship between the intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety/depression. The results are discussed in the light of previous studies, and its clinical implications.