Negative affect as a mediator between intolerance to uncertainty, anxiety and depression

The transdiagnostic model has demonstrated its relevance in the understanding and treatment of emotional disorders that share cognitive and behavioral processes. The objective of this research is to analyze the mediating role of negative affect (NA) in the relationship between intolerance to uncertainty (IU) and anxious and depressive symptoms following a transdiagnostic model. The sample consisted of 506 participants aged between 18 and 64 years (M=31.9, SD = 11.26); the levels of NA as state and trait was obtained using the scale of positive and negative affect (PANAS), the IU with the scale of intolerance to uncertainty, and the anxious and depressive symptoms with the BAI and BDI-II. The results indicate that affective measures of state and trait NA, and cognitive measures such as uncertainty of inhibition and bewilderment correlated with symptoms of anxiety and depression. In addition, the cognitive measures and their dimensions when associated with measures of depression and anxiety decreased significantly controlling the AN, obtaining a mediating model for the affective and cognitive measures in anxiety and depression in a path model adjusted according to the mediation and indirect effects analyses in a model of structural equations. It is concluded that the state and trait NA is considered a mediating factor between IU and anxiety symptoms in a total and partial way with depression. New evidence of the role of affect is generated as a trait and state in the approach of a transdiagnostic model in the area of clinical intervention. (C) 2018 Sociedad Espanola para el Estudio de la Ansiedad y el Estres - SEAS. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.