Childhood Adversity and Health Anxiety: The Mediating Role of Intolerance of Uncertainty
Keywords:
childhood adversity, health anxiety, intolerance of uncertaintyAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between childhood adversity and health anxiety in Taiwanese adolescents and young adults, with intolerance of uncertainty as a mediating variable.
Methods and Materials: A descriptive correlational design was employed with a sample of 412 participants recruited from educational and community centers in Taiwan. The sample size was determined using the Morgan and Krejcie table to ensure adequacy for multivariate analysis. Data were collected using standardized self-report measures: the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) for childhood adversity, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS) for cognitive vulnerability, and the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI) for health anxiety. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS-27 and AMOS-21. Pearson correlation coefficients were computed to assess bivariate associations, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to evaluate the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty. Model fit was assessed using χ²/df, CFI, TLI, and RMSEA indices.
Findings: Pearson correlations revealed significant positive associations between childhood adversity and health anxiety (r = .42, p < .001), as well as between childhood adversity and intolerance of uncertainty (r = .47, p < .001). Intolerance of uncertainty was also significantly associated with health anxiety (r = .51, p < .001). SEM results confirmed that intolerance of uncertainty partially mediated the relationship between childhood adversity and health anxiety. The structural model demonstrated acceptable fit (χ²/df = 2.11, CFI = .95, TLI = .94, RMSEA = .052). The indirect effect of childhood adversity on health anxiety through intolerance of uncertainty was statistically significant (β = .21, p < .01).
Conclusion: The findings highlight intolerance of uncertainty as a key mechanism linking childhood adversity to health anxiety, underscoring the importance of addressing cognitive vulnerabilities in prevention and intervention strategies for at-risk youth.
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