The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience in the Relationship between Emotional Reactivity, Intolerance of Uncertainty and Psychological Maladjustment in Children Receiving Orthodontic Treatment

The aim of this research was to examine the various psychological characteristics that affect psychological maladjustment in children undergoing orthodontic treatment. In this context, the predictive and mediating relationships between emotional reactivity, intolerance of uncertainty, psychological resilience and psychological maladjustment were considered. The study was conducted cross-sectionally with 543 children and adolescents aged 10–18 years, who were being treated at a state university orthodontic clinic in Turkey. Standardized measurement tools (The Emotional Reactivity Scale, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, Brief Resilience Scale and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale) and online data collection processes were used in the data collection process. The findings show that emotional reactivity and intolerance of uncertainty pose a risk for psychological maladjustment in children and adolescents receiving orthodontic treatment, but psychological resilience has a protective function against this risk (p < 0.001). It is suggested that these findings may contribute to the expansion of pediatric dentists’ perspectives on the secondary outcomes of orthodontic treatment practices.