Health anxiety and attentional control interact to predict uncertainty-related attentional biases

Current theories of health anxiety and a growing body of empirical literature suggest that those high in health anxiety symptoms might find uncertainty itself threatening and demonstrate attentional biases for uncertainty-related information (ABU). Moreover, a dual processes model of attention would suggest that individual differences in attentional control might modify such a relationship. The present study was designed to explore this proposed health anxiety-ABU relationship and also to consider attentional control as a moderator of theoretical and clinical relevance.

Undergraduate participants (N = 148) completed a self-report measure of health anxiety symptoms and two performance-based tasks to assess ABU and attentional control.

Hierarchical regression analyses showed a significant interaction between health anxiety and attention control in predicting attentional disengagement from, but not engagement with, uncertainty-related words. Specifically, results of the simple slopes analysis suggested that those with elevated health anxiety symptoms and better attentional control may use top-down attentional control processes to disengage their attention from distressing uncertainty-related stimuli faster than those with worse attentional control.

The analogue sample is a study limitation.

Results provide new insights into the nature of attentional biases within health anxiety. Results are discussed in light of recent work on attentional control and avoidance-based psychopathology.