Expecting the uncertain: The applicability of the intolerance of uncertainty model on fear of childbirth

Abstract

A considerable number of pregnant women experience fear of childbirth (FOC), characterized by worries and fear of the unpredictable. Despite this, the psychological processes in FOC have received notably little attention. The aim of this study was to advance the understanding by exploring the applicability of the Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) model on FOC. Anonymous data was collected in a sample of pregnant women (N = 357) with varying levels of FOC. Analyses supported the associations between FOC and all proposed psychological processes: IU, negative problem orientation, positive beliefs about worry and avoidance of inner experiences. The exploration of potential mediators of the relation between IU and FOC revealed that, of the three processes from the model, only positive beliefs about worry were a mediator, and more specifically, a partial mediator between IU and FOC. These findings add to the theoretical understanding of FOC, by indicating that the role of IU may be similar to other conditions inflicted by worry and anxiety, which may inform treatment development.

Keywords:

• Fear of childbirth
• intolerance of uncertainty
• fear
• childbirth
• pregnancy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Ida Flink, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.