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

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.