Relationships between intolerance of uncertainty and depression in Chinese high-altitude migrants: the mediating effect of mindfulness

Background: The current study aims to explore the path net linking intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and depressive symptoms among migrants at high altitude regions and examine whether mindfulness mediates the associations.

Methods: 1064 Chinese migrants who arrive in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China no more than one year were recruited by the cluster random sampling to perform the test with Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-Short Version-12 (IUS-12), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Then, path models were fitted to build the path net linking IU and depressive symptoms, with correlation analysis performed.

Results: The partial analysis showed that the PHQ-9 was positively correlated with both the prospective IU (r=0.315, P0.05) and inhibitory IU (r=0.404, P<0.05), which were the two dimensions of IUS-12. The MAAS score was negatively correlated with prospective IU (r=-0.196, P<0.05), inhibitory IU (r=-0.385, P<0.05) and PHQ-9 (r=-0.488, P<0.05). Both the prospective IU (β=0.137, 95% CI: 0.079 0.204) and inhibitory IU (β=0.169, 95% CI: 0.097 0.257) could directly affect depressive symptoms. The indirect effect of inhibitory IU on depressive symptoms via mindfulness was found to be significant (β=0.101, 95% CI: 0.068 0.137), accounting for 48.30% of the total effect. On the contrary, the indirect effect of prospective IU on depressive symptoms was found not significant.

Conclusions: IU was positively associated with depressive symptoms scores. And it was the inhibitory IU but not the prospective IU directly mediated by mindfulness in depressive symptoms development of migrants enrolled in the study at high-altitude regions of China.