The Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale for Children (IUSC): Discriminating Principal Anxiety Diagnoses and Severity

• Published in: Psychological assessment Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 722 - 729
• Main Authors: Read, Kendra L., Comer, Jonathan S., Kendall, Philip C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-09-2013
• Subjects: Adolescent; Anxiety; Anxiety - diagnosis; Anxiety - psychology; Anxiety Disorders; Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis; Anxiety Disorders - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child clinical studies; Children & youth; Discriminant Validity; Female; Generalized Anxiety Disorder; Human; Humans; Intolerance of Uncertainty; Male; Medical sciences; Parents & parenting; Parents - psychology; Psychodiagnosis; Psychological Tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics. Diagnostic aid systems; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Self Report; Severity (Disorders); Severity of Illness Index; Techniques and methods; Test Validity; Tolerance for Ambiguity; Uncertainty; worry; anxiety; anxiety disorders; intolerance of uncertainty; child; Human; Affect affectivity; Evaluation scale; Anxiety disorder; Psychometrics; School age; Adolescent; Anxiety; Severity score; Diagnosis; Child
• ISSN: 1040-3590; 1939-134X
• DOI: 10.1037/a0032392

The specific relationship of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) to generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in youth was examined by evaluating the ability of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale for Children (IUSC) to discriminate among principal anxiety disorder diagnoses. Analyses examined parent, child, and composite reports of principal anxiety diagnoses in youth aged 7 to 17 years. Results indicate that higher IU scores are associated with GAD by the composite diagnostic. Additionally, the IUSC significantly predicted child-reported anxiety severity. This relationship was not moderated by diagnostic group. The results indicate that IUSC scores are particularly associated with GAD, as well as with more severe child-reported anxiety symptoms.