| dc.description.abstract | Due to the limited effectiveness of treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN), much research has
been dedicated to finding transdiagnostic maintaining processes that may serve as targets for
intervention. In light of this, the current study aims to investigate whether worry explains the
effect of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) on eating disorder (ED) pathology in AN patients.
Due to its unique relation with worry, the current study examined prospective IU (i.e., a
subtype of IU) specifically. The current cross-sectional study is part of a larger study
conducted by a highly specialized ED treatment facility in the Netherlands, and included
participants who were 18 years and older, female, and had an AN diagnosis (N = 178).
Participants completed self-report measures for prospective IU, worry and ED pathology at
the facility. Results of the regression analyses showed that IU is positively associated with ED
pathology, and that worry fully explains this relationship. However, the explanatory value of
IU and worry for ED pathology scores was relatively low. Thus, their clinical relevance seems
dubious. Nevertheless, the current study is the first to demonstrate an indirect association of
IU and ED pathology in AN through worry, suggesting that (some) AN patients may benefit
from intervention targeting such underlying transdiagnostic vulnerabilities. | |
