Interpersonal intolerance of ambiguity, interpersonal life events, and mental health

Abstract

This study examined in the interpersonal context whether interactions of intolerance of ambiguity and positive as well as negative life events in a diathesis-stress model predicted changes in mental health. College students, 236 men and women, completed a questionnaire of Revised Interpersonal Intolerance of Ambiguity (IIAS-R), Stress Response, and Happiness scales. They completed one and a half months later another questionnaire of Interpersonal Life Event, Stress Response, and Happiness scales. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that for men interaction terms of IIAS-R's Friend scores with a negative life event score significantly predicted an increase in stress response. For women, interaction terms of IIAS-R's Stranger scores with a negative life event score significantly predicted a decrease in happiness. The results suggested that the diathesis-stress model was partially supported, and men and women were different in terms of the criterion mental-health variables that could be predicted by the interaction terms.