Intolerance of uncertainty and transdiagnostic group cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety

Background: Recent evidence suggests intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a transdiagnostic variable elevatedacross anxiety disorders. No studies have investigated IU’s response to transdiagnostic group CBTfor anxiety (TGCBT). This study evaluated IU outcomes following TGCBT across anxiety disorders. Methods: 151 treatment-seekers with primary diagnoses of social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, orGAD were evaluated before and after 12 weeks of TGCBT and completed self-report questionnaires atpre-, mid-, and post-treatment. Results: IU decreased significantly following treatment. Decreases in IU predicted improvements in clinicalpresentation across diagnoses. IU interacted with time to predictimprovementin clinical presentationirrespective of primary diagnosis. IU also interacted with time to predict improvement in clinical presentationalthough interactions of time with diagnosis-specific measures did not. IUS interacted with timeto predict reduction in anxiety and fear symptoms, and inhibitory IU interacted with time to predictedreductions in anxiety symptoms but prospective IU did not. Conclusion: IU appears to be an important transdiagnostic variable in CBT implicated in both initialpresentation and treatment change. Further implications are discussed.