Relationships between Intolerance of Uncertainty, Worry, Rumination, and Distress in College Students During the Coronavirus Pandemic: the Role of COVID-19 Threat Appraisals

Abstract

Background: In two conditional process models, we examined whether intolerance of uncertainty (IU) had both direct and indirect effects on coronavirus anxiety (through worry) and depressive symptoms (through rumination) among college students; these associations were hypothesized to be more likely among students who appraised COVID-19 as highly threatening.

Method: Data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic from September 2020 to November 2020 in the USA. Participants (n = 134) completed measures of IU, COVID-19 specific threat appraisal, rumination, worry, coronavirus anxiety, and depressive symptoms. The PROCESS macro (Model 8) was used for analyses with gender as a covariate.

Results: IU had a direct positive effect on coronavirus anxiety and the effect was strongest among students who perceived COVID-19 as more threatening. Threat appraisal did not moderate the IU-depressive symptoms relationship. IU had an indirect effect on depressive symptoms through rumination at all levels of threat appraisal. Unexpectedly, this indirect effect was strongest among students who perceived the pandemic as less threatening.

Conclusion: Results may inform interventions that address IU, threat appraisals, and repetitive negative thinking to mitigate symptoms of coronavirus anxiety and depression.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus anxiety; Depressive symptoms; Intolerance of uncertainty; Rumination; Threat appraisal; Worry.