Repetitive thinking worry and rumination as mechanisms to coping with intolerance of uncertainty in generalized anxiety and major depressive disorders

Intolerance of uncertainty can be defined as a cognitive bias that affects how a person perceives، interprets، and responds to uncertain situations. Although intolerance of uncertainty has been reported mainly in literature relating to worry and anxiety symptoms، it may be also important to investigate the relationship between Intolerance of uncertainty، rumination، and depression. The aim of the present study was to compare the intolerance of uncertainty in patients with generalized anxiety disorder، major depressive disorder and normal individuals and that relate with worry and rumination in a clinical sample. The present study was a cross-sectional and ex-post facto investigation. Statistical universe constituted all patients had been referred the first to the Bozorgmehr clinic in Tabriz in 2011. In this study، 32 client with generalized anxiety disorder، 32 client with major depressive disorder and 32 normal individuals were selected as a convenience sample. The groups were matched in demographic characteristics with each other. The subjects completed intolerance of uncertainty scale، Penn State worry questionnaire، and ruminative response scale. The gathered data was analyzed using SPSS-17 and descriptive statistic index and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and Pearson correlation analysis. The result showed that there weren’t any significant differences in intolerance of uncertainty between two groups with generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder (P=0. 77). But، there were significant differences in worry in the people with generalized anxiety compared with major depressive disorder (P=0. 012). Also، there were significant differences in rumination in the people with major depressive compared with generalized anxiety disorder (P=0. 025). Also، intolerance of uncertainty is related to worry and rumination. Intolerance of uncertainty is not a special factor for generalized anxiety disorder and this cognitive construct also plays a role in onset and maintenance of major depressive disorder، and maybe what separate these two disorders are different strategies (worry and rumination) which patients with generalized anxiety and major depressive disorders use to cope with intolerance of uncertainty