Locus of Control and Trait Anxiety in Aged Adults: the Mediating Effect of Intolerance of Uncertainty

Intolerance of uncertainty, aging, and anxiety and mental health concerns: A scoping review and meta-analysis

Although intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is associated with negative outcomes, studies focusing on older adults are still emerging. Specifically, the relationship between IU and psychological health in this population remains unclear. Moreover, no review has focused on understanding the unique contributions of IU and aging to anxiety and mental health in older adults. This scoping review and meta-analysis addressed this gap and provided a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between IU, aging, and mental health. Among 45 studies reviewed, 37 were included in the meta-analysis using mixed effect analysis to examine the relationship between IU and age across adulthood. The remaining eight studies, along with seven selected from the meta-analysis, were included in the scoping review to evaluate the relationship between IU, anxiety, and mental health. Among these, 12 studies focused on late adulthood, two on overall adulthood, and one included both late and overall adulthood. Results of the meta-analysis revealed an overall significant age difference in IU throughout adulthood. Moreover, results of the scoping review indicated a direct correlation between IU and anxiety, and other psychological issues in elderly. These findings provide insights for future research and interventions aimed at reducing IU and improving mental health among older adults.

Locus of Control as a Mediator of the Relationships Between Motivational Systems and Trait Anxiety

The Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory, first proposed by Gray and later revised, describes three motivational systems: Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS), Behavioral Activation System (BAS), and Fight-Flight-Freeze System (FFFS). Studies have shown that high BIS and FFFS activation are positively related to anxiety symptoms, yet the relationship between BAS and anxiety remains unclear. Research data have also suggested that anxiety symptoms occur with the loss of perceived control. Thus, although studies on the direct effect of locus of control (LOC) on trait anxiety have accumulated for many years, the issue of how LOC may mediate the relationship between BIS/BAS/FFFS sensitivity and anxiety has not been addressed. This study aimed to explore the mediating role of LOC orientation on trait anxiety among young adults in association with these three motivational systems. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 422 volunteers. The BIS/BAS Scale, Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Rotter's Internal-External LOC Scale were applied. A series of mediation analyses were performed to estimate total, indirect, and direct effects. The results showed that BIS and FFFS positively predicted trait anxiety. In addition, LOC positively predicted trait anxiety and BIS. The results of the mediation analyses indicated that LOC functioned as a partial mediator between BIS and trait anxiety. This finding revealed that a high BIS level, one of the motivational systems, was associated with external LOC, which in turn contributed to reporting high trait anxiety in young adults. Hence, BIS and external LOC orientation could be suggested as risk factors for trait anxiety. As the external LOC orientation of individuals with high punishment sensitivity increased, their trait anxiety levels also increased. Therefore, it was suggested that it might be useful to be aware that LOC orientations of individuals with BIS sensitivity may pose a risk for trait anxiety.

A Transdiagnostic Model for Depression, Anxiety, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

ABSTRACT

Depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and anxiety disorders (ADs) can seriously impair functionality. Studies have shown that there are common mechanisms in the emergence of these disorders. This study discussed unpredictability beliefs, family unpredictability, locus of control, intolerance of uncertainty, emotional regulation difficulties, and coping styles. In this study, a model created with these transdiagnostic variables that play a role in the emergence of depression, OCD, and ADs was tested. The sample of the study consisted of 795 people. The model explained a significant part of the variance in psychological symptoms. In addition to various limitations, it is thought that this study has important contributions to the field by examining the relationships between unpredictability beliefs and various variables for the first time, and bringing together many transdiagnostic factors related to psychological symptoms. In addition, it provides valuable information for clinicians as it provides a basis for intervention programs targeting many transdiagnostic mechanisms.

Pandemic fatigue and depressive symptoms among college students in the COVID-19 context: indirect effects through sense of control and intolerance of uncertainty

Pandemic fatigue, the state of weariness, exhaustion, and demotivation to engage in protective behaviors during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, have been linked with depressive symptoms. However, the mechanism underlying this association remains unclear. Based on the stress process model, the present study examined the indirect effects of pandemic fatigue on depressive symptoms through the indirect roles of sense of control and intolerance of uncertainty. Data were collected from 1,162 Chinese undergraduate and postgraduate students (Mage = 21.61 years old, SD = 2.81, 64.29% women) through electronic questionnaires. The pandemic fatigue scale, the personal mastery scale, the short version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, and the Depression subscale of the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scales were employed. Indirect effects were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results revealed that pandemic fatigue related to COVID-19 was positively associated with depressive symptoms through (a) sense of control; (b) intolerance of uncertainty; and (c) a sequential pathway from sense of control to intolerance of uncertainty. The findings expand the application of the stress process model to the context of COVID-19 and deepen the understanding of pandemic fatigue-depressive symptoms link with considering the indirect roles of sense of control and intolerance of uncertainty. Psychological distress in the context of COVID-19 could be alleviated by the interventions on strengthening sense of control and tolerance of uncertainty and lessening the adverse effects of pandemic fatigue.

Aging, uncertainty, and decision making-A review

There is a great deal of uncertainty in the world. One common source of uncertainty results from incomplete or missing information about probabilistic outcomes (i.e., outcomes that may occur), which influences how people make decisions. The impact of this type of uncertainty may particularly pronounced for older adults, who, as the primary leaders around the world, make highly impactful decisions with lasting outcomes. This review examines the ways in which uncertainty about probabilistic outcomes is perceived, handled, and represented in the aging brain, with an emphasis on how uncertainty may specifically affect decision making in later life. We describe the role of uncertainty in decision making and aging from four perspectives, including 1) theoretical, 2) self-report, 3) behavioral, and 4) neuroscientific. We report evidence of any age-related differences in uncertainty among these contexts and describe how these changes may affect decision making. We then integrate the findings across the distinct perspectives, followed by a discussion of important future directions for research on aging and uncertainty, including prospection, domain-specificity in risk-taking behaviors, and choice overload.

Neuroticism and fear of COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic: Testing the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty and sense of control among Chinese high school students

Since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2019, neuroticism has been proven a predictor of fear of COVID-19 infection. However, only few studies have been conducted on the factors affecting the relationship between neuroticism and this kind of fear. The present study is aimed at analyzing the role intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and sense of control (SOC) play in relation to neuroticism and the fear of COVID-19. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, China, and we collected complete datasets from 792 high school students. The main results can be described as follows: (a) individuals with high neuroticism tended to have higher intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and a lower sense of control (SOC); (b) IU and SOC played a mediating role between neuroticism and fear of COVID-19, and a serial mediation effect was found between these factors; (c) after controlling for both IU and SOC, the effect of neuroticism on fear was no longer significant. The results suggested a critical role of IU and sense of control in the causal relationship between neuroticism and fear.

The relationship between future self-continuity and intention to use Internet wealth management: The mediating role of tolerance of uncertainty and trait anxiety

This study aimed to analyze the mediating effect of tolerance of uncertainty (TU) and trait anxiety (TA) on future self-continuity (FSC) and intention to use Internet wealth management (IUIWM) systems. A questionnaire survey was distributed online and a total of 388 participants completed questionnaire, The questionnaire included the following scales: Chinese version of the FSC, Intention to Use the Internet Wealth Management, TU, and TA. Pearson correlation was used to investigate the correlation coefficient between variables while the sequential regression method was used to analyze relationship between variables. To analyze the collected data, the SPSS 26.0 was used. A two-step procedure was applied to analyze the mediation effect. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test the measurement model. Afterward, the Maximum Likelihood method was used for path analysis, and the Bias-corrected Bootstrap method was used to investigate determine the estimated value and confidence interval of the mediating effect. To analyze the mediation effect, the Mplus 7.0 was used. The results showed that FSC positively predicted individuals’ Internet wealth management systems. Furthermore, TU and TA played complete serial multiple mediating roles between FSC and IUIWM. The role of TA and TU have negative impact on intention to use. This study provides a theoretical basis in personality psychology that Internet financial product suppliers can use to improve the attractiveness of their products. Product managers can subdivide users according to these personality traits to provide customized products.

Media Exposure to COVID-19 Predicted Acute Stress: A Moderated Mediation Model of Intolerance of Uncertainty and Perceived Social Support

Background: Previous studies have found that disaster-related media exposure could predict acute stress responses. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between media exposure to COVID-19 and acute stress, and less is known about the mechanisms that translate media exposure to COVID-19 into acute stress. The current study explored the impact of media exposure to COVID-19 on acute stress, and examined the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and the moderating role of perceived social support (PSS). Methods: A total of 1,483 Chinese participants (M age = 27.93 years, SD = 8.45) completed anonymous online questionnaires regarding media exposure to COVID-19, IU, PSS, and acute stress during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Results: Media exposure to COVID-19 was positively related to acute stress, and IU partially mediated this relationship. The direct effect of media exposure to COVID-19 on acute stress, and the relationship between IU and acute stress, were both moderated by PSS. The impacts of both media exposure to COVID-19 and IU on acute stress were stronger for individuals with low PSS. Limitations: This study collected data in a shorter timeframe, and no assessments occurred during the follow-up, which may prevent us from detecting the changes of the relationships between variables over time. Meanwhile, the self-report method limited the validity of the data due to subjective reporting bias. Conclusions: These findings contribute to a better understanding of how and when pandemic-related media exposure affects acute stress, and provide new perspectives for the prevention to reduce psychological problems following traumatic events.

Fear and Trembling of Cruise Ship Employees: Psychological Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The current COVID-19 pandemic has evolved to unprecedented proportions. This research aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ship employees stuck at sea. Using an inductive qualitative approach, a synchronous online focus group was conducted with nine cruise ship employees who were stuck at sea during COVID-19 pandemic. The findings revealed that COVID-19 pandemic has managed to erase the feeling of joy from cruise ship employees who were stuck at sea while exposing weakness of cruise line companies such as poor human resource management leadership. Moreover, COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that it is of paramount importance that cruise line companies create a comprehensive strategy in assisting their employees who are experiencing an anxiety disorder and depression. The managerial implications are outlined.