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01-12-2011 | Brief Report

Intolerance of Uncertainty Moderates the Relationship Between Catastrophic Health Appraisals and Health Anxiety

Auteurs: Thomas A. Fergus, David P. Valentiner

Gepubliceerd in: Cognitive Therapy and Research | Uitgave 6/2011

Abstract

The present study examined whether intolerance of uncertainty (IU) moderates the relationship between catastrophic health appraisals and health anxiety. Specifically, appraisals that ambiguous symptoms are the sign of a catastrophic health concern are proposed to be better tolerated by some individuals (i.e., those with low IU) than others (i.e., those with high IU). A large sample of medically healthy college students (N = 412) completed a scenario-based measure assessing the tendency to attribute ambiguous body sensations and symptoms to either catastrophic (i.e., catastrophic health appraisals) or minor (i.e., minor health appraisals) health concerns, as well as self-report measures of IU and health anxiety. Consistent with predictions, catastrophic health appraisals were only significantly associated with health anxiety at high levels of IU. Moreover, and showing a degree of specificity, IU did not moderate the relationship between minor health appraisals and health anxiety. Conceptual and therapeutic implications are discussed.

vorige artikel Dyadic Moderators of the Effectiveness of Problem-Focused and Emotional-Approach Coping Interventions

volgende artikel The Short Health Anxiety Inventory and Multidimensional Inventory of Hypochondriacal Traits: A Comparison of Two Self-Report Measures of Health Anxiety

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Titel: Intolerance of Uncertainty Moderates the Relationship Between Catastrophic Health Appraisals and Health Anxiety
Auteurs: Thomas A. Fergus
David P. Valentiner
Publicatiedatum: 01-12-2011
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Cognitive Therapy and Research / Uitgave 6/2011
Print ISSN: 0147-5916
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-2819
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-011-9392-9

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