Dr. Mehdi Akbari, Dr. Alireza Moradi, Ms. Shiva Jamshidi, Dr. David Hallford,
Volume 20, Issue 1 (4-2026)
Abstract
Distress intolerance, as a psychological vulnerability factor, has been implicated in the development of a wide range of conditions leading to psychopathology, including worry and rumination. Low distress tolerance may also predispose individuals to greater use of avoidance strategies. This study aimed to expand our understanding of the relationship between distress intolerance and worry/rumination by examining the mediating role of two forms of avoidance (i.e., experiential avoidance and emotional contrast avoidance). Questionnaire and cross-sectional data were collected from 1,098 participants from the general population aged 18–55 years (52.3% female). The results of structural equation modeling and mediattion analysis showed that experiential avoidance and emotional contrast avoidance mediated the relationship between distress intolerance and worry/rumination in a chain fashion. More precisely, the lower the distress tolerance capacity, the more people engage in repetitive negative thinking in the form of worry and/or rumination, and the two forms of avoidance mediated this relationship. The applications, limitations, and implications of this research are also discussed.
