Intolerance of Uncertainty and Future Anxiety in University Students: Examining the Mediating Role of Cognitive Control of Emotions and Problem-Solving Skills

Future anxiety is a specific type of anticipatory anxiety involving persistent worry and fear about potential adverse future outcomes. It is especially common among university students, as they undergo significant developmental transitions and face uncertainties regarding their careers, relationships, and identities. This study examined the mediating roles of cognitive control of emotions and problem-solving (PS) skills in the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and future anxiety. Drawing on Bandura's social cognitive theory, the research explored how cognitive and behavioral self-regulation mechanisms are related to students' responses to uncertainty within a theoretically informed associational framework. A sample of 348 undergraduates completed validated self-report measures, including the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale Short Form, the Cognitive Control and Flexibility Scale, the Problem-Solving Inventory, and the Future Anxiety Scale in University Students. Parallel mediation analyses revealed that IU was significantly associated with both dimensions of future anxiety. Notably, the relationship between IU and fear of the future was partially mediated. In contrast, the association between IU and hopelessness about the future was fully accounted for by cognitive control of emotions and PS skills in the mediation model. These results suggest that higher levels of IU are associated with greater future anxiety, particularly when individuals exhibit lower levels of cognitive control of emotions and PS skills. Cognitive control of emotions was found to be a more potent mediator than PS skills, highlighting the important role of emotional regulation in relation to future-oriented distress. These findings suggest that interventions targeting emotional regulation strategies, such as cognitive reappraisal, may hold promise for addressing future anxiety among university students. The current study enhances our understanding of future anxiety by highlighting key psychological mechanisms that are associated with its maintenance.