The relationship between Intolerance of Uncertainty and State-Eating Pathology in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

Abstract: There is a great amount of evidence from previous studies that found intolerance of uncertainty (IU) to be related to different psychological disorders. However, there is little known about the relationship between IU and the eating disorder: Anorexia nervosa (AN). The primary purpose of the study was to examine whether experimental induction of IU would have an effect on state-eating pathology in patients with AN versus those who did not undergo an experimental induction of IU. 29 Participants (M = 23.97, SD = 6.54) filled out a visual analogue scale about the experienced feeling of uncertainty, a questionnaire about state eating pathology and a questionnaire about intolerance of uncertainty before and after the experimental induction of IU. Results show that the manipulation did not show a difference between the group that underwent the experimental induction of IU versus the group that did not. Further research is needed to replicate this study and investigate the relationship IU has with AN.