Intolerable feelings of uncertainty within the body: Associations between interoceptive awareness, intolerance of uncertainty, and body dissatisfaction.

Findings suggest that experiencing bodily signals as ambiguous and uncertain may result in more complex body image issues. Within certain domains of interoceptive awareness, IU may affect the process of appraising bodily signals. Furthermore, adolescent girls who do not feel safe in their body and who find it difficult to distract their thoughts when experiencing pain or discomfort in their body may be particularly at risk for developing more complex body image disturbances and may benefit from interventions improving both interoceptive awareness and IU. Moreover, future research should focus on interoceptive awareness and IU as potential underlying mechanisms for body image issues.