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Cardiophobia: An Anxiety Disorder in Its Own Right?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2014

Georg H. Eifert
Georg H. Eifert*
Affiliation:
University of Mississippi School of Medicine
*
Division of Psychology, University of Mississippi School of Medicine, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, U.S.A.
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Abstract

Cardiophobic persons repeatedly present with complaints of chest pain and heart palpitations accompanied by fears of having a heart attack and of dying. They focus attention on their heart when experiencing stress and arousal, perceive its function in a phobic manner, and continue to believe they suffer from an organic heart problem despite repeated negative medical tests. To reduce anxiety, they seek continuous reassurance, make excessive use of medical facilities, and avoid activities believed to bring on symptoms. This article analyses the evidence for viewing cardiophobia as a phobic disorder in its own right rather than merely a problem of non-organic chest pain with some overlay of anxiety and depression. Despite some overlapping symptoms shared with persons who suffer from panic disorder, illness phobia, and extreme health anxiety, a number of central and defining features of cardiophobia are identified to differentiate cardiophobia from other anxiety disorders. An integrative model for understanding the origin and maintenance of cardiophobia (Eifert, 1990) is summarised and some treatment recommendations are derived from this model to target the central problems of persons with cardiophobia. Directions for future research are also discussed.

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Type
Research Article
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , September 1991 , pp. 100 - 116
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 1991

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