Intolerance of Uncertainty: Comparison between Patients with Major Depression Disorder and Obsessive - Compulsive Disorder

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) can be defined as a cognitive bias that affects how a person perceives، interprets، and responds to uncertain situations on a cognitive، emotional، and behavioral level. The aim of this study was to compare IU among major depression disorder (MDD)، obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and healthy groups. Forty eight patients with MDD and forty six patients with OCD were non-randomly selected from those attended to psychiatric and psychological clinics of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The control group of 50 people was selected from students and staff of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. All patients were asked to complete the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II)، Maudsley obsessive-compulsive Inventory (MOCI) and Intolerance of uncertainty Questionnaire. There was a significant difference between OCD with healthy groups in IU total score and in all subscales (P<0. 001). Also there was a significant difference between the MDD and healthy groups in IU total score، inability to act، and uncertainty about the future (P<0. 001). There was a significant difference between the OCD and MDD groups in IU total score and all subscales (P<0/001)، except for the uncertainty about the future. Overall، the results of this study indicate that IU is one of the characteristic of OCD. Also some of its dimensions are associated with depression.