Heightened fear of uncertainty in anorexia and bulimia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE

To test whether intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is related to eating disorder (ED) pathology.

METHOD: Thirty individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), 19 with bulimia nervosa (BN), and 28 healthy control women (CW) completed the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS).

RESULTS

AN and BN groups showed higher IU compared with CW. In AN and BN, Harm Avoidance and Depression scores were positively correlated with IU. In AN but not BN, IU was related positively to Drive for Thinness and Body Dissatisfaction.

DISCUSSION: Elevated IU is associated with AN and BN. Anxious traits may be inherent in EDs and IU could be a developmental factor contributing to anxiety, mood, and ED behavior in AN and BN.