Fig. 1

Simple slope analyses resulting from the interaction between time and intolerance of uncertainty, for depression and generalised anxiety. Time 1 occurred between May 5, 2020, and September 30, 2020, time 2 between August 5, 2020, and January 29, 2021, and time 3 between November 5, 2020, and April 9, 2021. When intolerance of uncertainty was high (+ 1SD) individuals’ depressive and anxiety symptoms reduced over time (depression: β = −.62, p < .001; anxiety: β = −.65, p < .001) but remained higher than individuals with average and low intolerance of uncertainty. Individuals with average intolerance of uncertainty also reported declining depressive and generalised anxiety symptoms over time (depression: β = −.38, p < .001; anxiety: β = −.30, p < .001), but they remained higher than those of individuals with low intolerance of uncertainty. Individuals with low intolerance of uncertainty reported stable and low levels of depressive and generalised anxiety symptoms over time (depression: β = −.13, p = .22; anxiety: β = .04, p = .69) (Fig. 1)