20.500.12556/DKUM-97547 Coping with existential anxiety how resilience, intolerance of uncertainty, and cognitive-emotion regulation shape mental health outcomes Background Existential anxiety (EA) is a transdiagnostic construct increasingly recognized for its role in the development of depression and anxiety. Despite its relevance, most research has focused only on a subset of EA and largely neglected the role of malleable moderating factors that could be addressed via psychotherapeutic practices, such as cognitive emotion regulation (CER) strategies, psychological resilience, and intolerance of uncertainty (IU), which are explored in the present study. Methods Slovenian young adults (N = 330; M = 21.20 years, SD = 1.85; 63.3% female) participated in an online survey. Results EA significantly predicted depression and anxiety. Psychological resilience buffered, while IU amplified the relationship between EA and both outcomes. Maladaptive CER strategies moderated the relationship between EA and general anxiety, whereas adaptive CER strategies did not moderate any investigated relationship. Specific CER strategies also showed differential effects: catastrophizing amplified the relationship for both outcomes while refocusing on planning buffered the relationship between EA and depression. Conclusions EA is associated with depression and general anxiety in young adults. While psychological resilience can mitigate these associations, IU and (certain) maladaptive CER strategies can intensify them. Findings suggest promising targets for therapeutic interventions to alleviate existential distress and improve emotional well-being. existential anxiety cognitive-emotion regulation strategies psychological resilience intolerance of uncertainty depression anxiety eksistencialna tesnoba strategije kognitivno-čustvene regulacije psihološka odpornost nestrpnost do negotovosti depredija anksioznost true false true Elsevier B.V. Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/acta-psychologica © 2026 Published by Elsevier B.V. Članek v reviji 2026-03-18 15:25:41 2026-03-18 15:25:42 2026-03-19 04:02:30 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 8 str. Vol. 264, [article no.] 106547 apr. 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 2025-07-16 2026-02-23 2026-03-09 159.944.4:613 271211779 10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.106547 1873-6297 1-s2.0-S0001691826003483-main.pdf 1-s2.0-S0001691826003483-main.pdf 1 D170CCA9280A2EDD4549A704E1C645BF 8282d0cddabd1ac1e029d580cc19bd9db93ccd3eb13e5c26d35bf5fcd884244f f0eb0584-22d6-11f1-b351-00155d0001a1 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=204629 Fakulteta za elektrotehniko, računalništvo in informatiko Filozofska fakulteta 0 0 0