Intolerance of Uncertainty Moderates the Relationship between Catastrophizing, Anxiety, and Perceived Pain in People with Chronic Nononcological Pain

Abstract

Objective: Substantial empirical evidence has shown that intolerance of uncertainty is a central transdiagnostic feature in psychopathology and it has been suggested to be a pain-related psychological factor contributing to the experience of chronic pain. However, research in this area is virtually nonexistent. The objective of this study was to investigate associations between pain severity, catastrophizing, and anxiety in people with chronic nononcological pain, while assuming that intolerance of uncertainty moderates these relationships. Methods: A convenience sample of 188 individuals with nononcological chronic pain (157 women and 32 men) participated in the study. We investigated the moderated mediation of intolerance of uncertainty between anxiety and catastrophizing and between catastrophizing and pain intensity. Results: The full moderated mediation model accounted for significant variance in pain intensity (R2 = 0.148, P