Intolerance of uncertainty in adolescents with and without social communication disorder: group and gender...

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a transdiagnostic cognitive-emotional vulnerability associated with anxiety, avoidance, and impaired functioning. Adolescence is a developmental period marked by increasing social and communicative demands, yet little is known about IU in adolescents with social communication disorder (SCD), a condition characterized by persistent difficulties in the pragmatic use of language and social interaction. This study examined group and gender differences in intolerance of uncertainty among adolescents with and without SCD.

The sample comprised 120 adolescents aged 14-18 years, including 60 adolescents diagnosed with SCD and 60 typically developing peers matched on age, gender, and educational level. Intolerance of uncertainty was assessed using the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS). Group and gender differences in overall intolerance of uncertainty and its subscales were examined using two-way analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of variance.

Adolescents with SCD reported significantly higher overall intolerance of uncertainty than adolescents without SCD. Male adolescents also exhibited higher intolerance of uncertainty than female adolescents. These group and gender differences were observed across all four subscales of intolerance of uncertainty, including inability to act, uncertainty being stressful and upsetting, beliefs that unexpected events are negative and should be avoided, and perceptions of uncertainty as unfair. No significant interaction effects between group and gender were found.

Findings suggest that adolescents with SCD experience heightened intolerance of uncertainty, potentially reflecting challenges in managing ambiguity inherent in social communication. Elevated intolerance of uncertainty may represent an important emotional-cognitive vulnerability in this population. Interventions targeting social communication skills and tolerance of ambiguity may help reduce uncertainty-related distress and support psychosocial functioning in adolescents with SCD.