Mindfulness as a mediator between intolerance of uncertainty and test anxiety among adolescents: a structural equation model

Abstract

Test anxiety is a prevalent problem among adolescents and is closely associated with cognitive and emotional responses to uncertainty. Although intolerance of uncertainty and mindfulness have each been linked to anxiety, their joint role within a unified explanatory model remains insufficiently explored. The present study examined whether mindfulness mediates the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and test anxiety among adolescents in Türkiye. Using a cross-sectional correlational design, data were collected between March and April 2025 from 834 high school students (aged 14–18 years) recruited through convenience sampling from multiple public secondary schools located in the city center of Afyon, Türkiye. Participants completed standardized self-report measures assessing intolerance of uncertainty, mindfulness, and test anxiety. Structural equation modeling was conducted using LISREL 8.8, following preliminary analyses in SPSS 27. Structural equation modeling showed that higher levels of intolerance of uncertainty were associated with lower mindfulness, which in turn predicted higher levels of test anxiety, supporting a partial mediation model. These findings identify mindfulness as a significant mediating variable in the association between intolerance of uncertainty and test anxiety and contribute to the understanding of their interrelations within evaluative academic contexts.