PREDICTING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: THE ROLE OF RELIGIOSITY AND INTOLERANCE OF UNCERTAINTY

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of Intolerance of uncertainty and religiosity on psychological distress among university students. Pre-established scales of Intolerance of uncertainty, religiosity and psychological distress were adapted from existing literature with slight modifications to fit into the context. A sample of 209 university students (mean age 25.6) participated in the research study. The data collected were subjected to descriptive analysis and multiple regression analysis using SPSS. The results revealed that Intolerance of uncertainty has a significant positive effect on psychological distress. In contrast,it was observed that religiosity exerts a significant negative effect on psychological distress. Moreover, results indicateda significant difference in psychological distress between male and female students.