Intolerance of uncertainty, perfectionism, and coping as predictors of depression diagnosis and severity

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting 3.8% of the global population. Despite its prevalence, less than half of those diagnosed with MDD receive treatment and remission rates remain low. Given these poor outcomes for individuals with depression and the findings of our previous study examining the role of certain psychological phenomena on the incidence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the present study aims to examine whether intolerance of uncertainty, perfectionism, and coping strategies can together predict the diagnosis and severity of MDD. Participants were outpatients (N = 549) referred to a tertiary care clinic in Toronto, Canada between 2011 and 2014. After undergoing a diagnostic assessment, participants were administered a series of self-report questionnaires that measured intolerance of uncertainty, perfectionism, and coping. Results demonstrate that task-oriented coping and emotion-oriented coping significantly predicted depression diagnosis, while avoidant coping, perfectionism, and intolerance of uncertainty did not. As for depression severity, significant predictors included perfectionism, task-oriented coping, emotion-oriented coping, and avoidant coping. Further research is needed to identify interactions between the subscales of these constructs to determine how they work in tandem to influence MDD. Our findings indicate a need for more personalized interventions in the treatment of this disorder.