A Transdiagnostic Group Intervention Focusing on Intolerance to Uncertainty Preliminary Evaluation of Effectiveness

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) Is a vulnerability factor for several psychological disorders and may be an important target for transdiagnostic interventions (Shihata et al., 2016). The current pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioural group intervention delivered to 7 university students. These students reported difficulties tolerating uncertainty aside from the presence of a psychological disorder and type of disorder. A single-case experimental design in 3 phases (baseline, 8-week intervention, 8-week follow-up) had as primary outcome an ad-hoc daily self-monitoring questionnaire. The secondary outcomes were scores on the self-report questionnaires Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-Revised and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21, which were administered at baseline, end of intervention and follow-up. Overall, perceived uncertainty and associated distress decreased-especially between intervention and follow-up; conversely, confidence In the ability to manage uncertainty increased across the three phases. Scores on self-report questionnaires showed a progressive decrease in IU and general distress. Although only preliminarily, these findings support the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic group Intervention focused on IU in university students. However, it would be highly recommendable to conduct randomized control trials to provide stronger and more generallzable evidence.