The Moderating Role of Metacognitive Beliefs and Deficit in Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Relationship between Intolerance of Uncertainty and Worry in Patients with Obsessive-compulsive Disorder

Worry is considered as a common cognitive factor in most of psychological disorders, particularly anxiety disorders. It has a significant role in psychopathology of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and worry in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder regarding to the moderating role of metacognitive beliefs and deficit in cognitive emotion regulation. 100 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (78 female, 22 male) participated in this study. All participants completed Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS), Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), Metacognitve Beliefs Questionnaire (MCBQ), and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Results showed that intolerance of uncertainty could predict worry in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Further, findings revealed that the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and worry in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder was moderated by metacognitive beliefs and deficit in cognitive emotion regulation. Hence, it could be concluded that the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and worry is not a simple linear one. This is partly moderated by metacognitive beliefs and deficit in cognitive emotion regulation.