Intolerance of Uncertainty in Relation to Motives for Alcohol Use

Changes in Alcohol Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact of the Lockdown Conditions and Mental Health Factors

“…Moreover, intolerance of uncertainty, which is highly correlated with depression (Carleton et al 2012 ; Gentes and Ruscio 2011 ) and anxiety (Boswell et al 2013 ; Rosser 2019 ), is also associated with the frequency of alcohol use. However, in contrast to studies which suggest that intolerance of uncertainty is likely to be positively correlated with drinking alcohol to cope or conform (Kraemer et al 2015 ; Oglesby et al 2015 ) or to diminish aversive reactivity to ambiguous threats (Gorka et al 2016 ), our results show that the frequency of use is negatively correlated with intolerance of uncertainty. We proffer two explanations for this divergence: alcohol consumption helps people to tolerate uncertainty (as an extension of the anxiolytic effect); people who are intolerant of uncertainty will be more cautious and less inclined to use a psychoactive substance (precautionary principle).…”

“…Intolerance of uncertainty, namely the difficulty of not knowing , is associated with other mental health problems (Glowacz and Schmits 2020 , including generalized anxiety disorder (Boswell et al 2013 ; Rosser 2019 ) and depression (Carleton et al 2012 ; Gentes and Ruscio 2011 ). Moreover, intolerance of uncertainty has been shown to be positively correlated with drinking alcohol to cope or conform (Kraemer et al 2015 ; Oglesby et al 2015 ). Alcohol use may be increased in an attempt to diminish aversive reactivity to ambiguous threats (Gorka et al 2016 ).…”

Intolerance of uncertainty in opioid dependency – Relationship with trait anxiety and impulsivity

“…The existing research on IU and substance use is limited to alcohol use, and has supported the coping model of substance use in that IU predicts drinking alcohol as an avoidance strategy to cope with worry and negative affect [ 28 , 29 ]. Having negative drinking motivations, such as coping or peer conformity, has been linked to alcohol abuse and developing an alcohol use disorder [ 30 – 33 ].…”

Engaging in Risky and Impulsive Behaviors to Alleviate Distress Mediates Associations Between Intolerance of Uncertainty and Externalizing Psychopathology

“…The present findings extend previous work on this topic by identifying novel cognitive (e.g., blame externalization) and behavioral (e.g., aggression, impulsive risk-taking) strategies associated with externalizing psychopathology that people may use to cope with uncertainty. Consistent with these findings, a recent study by Gorka and colleagues (2018) reported a positive association between intolerance of uncertainty and trait aggression in a sample of adults with intermittent explosive disorder, and other research has identified links between intolerance of uncertainty and the use of alcohol as a coping mechanism Kraemer et al, 2015;Oglesby et al, 2015). In combination, these studies provide growing evidence that some individuals high on intolerance of uncertainty cope with the discomfort that accompanies uncertainty by engaging in impulsive, externalizing behaviors.…”

“…Surprisingly, the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and externalizing problems/pathology (characterized by antisocial personality disorder, conduct problems, impulsivity, aggression, and/or substance misuse; see Achenbauch & Edelbrock, 1978;Kendler, Davis, & Kessler, 1997) has yet to be directly examined. Some indirect evidence supports a link; for example, intolerance of uncertainty has been shown to be positively correlated with anger/aggression (Fracalanza, Koerner, Deschênes, & Dugas, 2014;Gorka, Phan, Hosseini, Chen, & McCloskey, 2018) and drinking (alcohol) to cope or conform (Kraemer, McLeish, & O'Bryan, 2015;Oglesby, Albanese, Chavarria, & Schmidt, 2015). Relatedly, there is growing evidence that use of alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine dampens physiological reactivity to uncertain (but not certain) threat, suggesting that use of these substances may be reinforced through their impact on diminishing aversive reactivity to ambiguous threats Hefner, Starr,& Curtin, 2016;Hogle, Kaye, & Curtin, 2010).…”