Intolerance of uncertainty and obsessive-compulsive disorder
10.3760/cma.j.cn371468-20250219-00060
- VernacularTitle:无法忍受不确定性与强迫症
- Author:
Di LI
1
;
Zifeng ZHENG
1
;
Chaoyi WU
1
;
Ziyang BI
1
;
Zhen WANG
1
Author Information
1. 上海交通大学医学院附属精神卫生中心，上海 200030
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Obsessive-compulsive disorder;
Intolerance of uncertainty;
Neuroimaging;
Psychotherapy;
Personalized intervention
- From:
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science
2025;34(9):846-851
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
The high comorbidity and heterogeneity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) underscore the importance of better understanding its transdiagnostic features. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU), a transdiagnostic negative psychological trait, has been consistently linked to a variety of psychiatric disorders, including OCD. IU is hierarchically structured, comprising general IU, inhibitory IU and prospective IU, each of them potentially relating differently to OCD symptom dimensions. For example, inhibitory IU has shown specific associations with procrastination behaviors. Neuroimaging studies indicate that OCD patients demonstrate abnormal neural activity within the fronto-limbic circuit and salience network, including anterior insula, amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, during IU-related psychological processes. This review synthesizes findings across three key areas: symptom presentation, neurobiological mechanisms and intervention strategies, aiming to clarify the role of IU in OCD. Furthermore, the potential of targeting IU therapeutically to complement first-line treatment is discussed, ultimately enhancing clinical intervention outcomes.
