The Relationship of Hypochondriasis to Anxiety, Depressive, and Somatoform Disorders

Psychosomatics
Timothy M ScarellaArthur Barsky

Abstract

Though the phenotype of anxiety about medical illness has long been recognized, there continues to be debate as to whether it is a distinct psychiatric disorder and, if so, to which diagnostic category it belongs. Our objective was to investigate the pattern of psychiatric comorbidity in hypochondriasis (HC) and to assess the relationship of health anxiety to anxiety, depressive, and somatoform disorders. Data were collected as part of a clinical trial on treatment methods for HC. In all, 194 participants meeting criteria for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) HC were assessed by sociodemographic variables, results of structured diagnostic interviews, and validated instruments for assessing various symptom dimensions of psychopathology. Most of the individuals with HC had comorbid psychiatric illness; the mean number of comorbid diagnoses was 1.4, and 35.1% had HC as their only diagnosis. Participants were more likely to have only comorbid anxiety disorders than only comorbid depressive or somatoform disorders. Multiple regression analysis of continuous measures of symptoms revealed the strongest correlation of health anxiety with anxiety symptoms, and a weaker correlation with somatofor...Continue Reading

Associated Clinical Trials

Jun 20, 2006·Arthur Joseph Barsky III,M.D., Arthur Joseph Barsky III,M.D.

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Citations

Oct 18, 2016·Journal of Personality Disorders·Florian WeckJulia M B Neng
Jan 18, 2018·Journal of Clinical Psychology·Deanna M KaplanMary-Frances O'Connor
Aug 27, 2019·The Journal of International Medical Research·Feng ZhengSiqing Ding
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Sep 21, 2020·Journal of Psychosomatic Research·Tina Birgitte Wisbech CarstensenLisbeth Frostholm

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