Why we should focus more attention on uncertainty distress and intolerance of uncertainty in adolescents and emerging adults

Sivertsen et al. (2023) showed that adolescents endorsing high levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms are at risk of increased mental health problems during emerging adulthood and suggested the existence of both homotypic and heterotypic continuities of mental disorders over time. Since adolescence and emerging adulthood are transition periods highly intertwined with uncertainty, the present perspective contextualizes the findings by Sivertsen et al. (2023) in relation to the extant literature on intolerance of uncertainty and the recently developed Uncertainty Distress Model. Moreover, it claims for further research addressing the way adolescents and emerging adults process and deal with uncertainty. Indeed, focusing more attention on the implications of trans-situational and trans-diagnostic constructs such as uncertainty distress and intolerance of uncertainty in these life stages may hold great promise to design and implement effective mental health prevention programs.

Automated summary

Sivertsen et al. (2023) found that adolescents endorsing high levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms are at risk of increased mental health problems during emerging adulthood, and both homotypic and heterotypic continuities of mental disorders exist. This perspective contextualizes their findings in relation to the literature on intolerance of uncertainty and the Uncertainty Distress Model, and calls for further research on how adolescents and emerging adults process and deal with uncertainty.