Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-xtgtn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T16:39:32.641Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Reduction in Hypochondriasis with Treatment of Panic Disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

R. Noyes*
Affiliation:
University of Iowa College of Medicine, 500 Newton Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
J. Reich
Affiliation:
University of Iowa College of Medicine, 500 Newton Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
J. Clancy
Affiliation:
University of Iowa College of Medicine, 500 Newton Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
T. W. O'Gorman
Affiliation:
University of Iowa College of Medicine, 500 Newton Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
*
Correspondence

Extract

Hypochondriasis was assessed in 60 patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia using the Illness Behavior Questionnaire. Before treatment, IBQ hypochondriasis scores were similar to those of a group of hypochondriacal psychiatric patients. In patients who improved with treatment, significant reductions in somatic preoccupation, disease phobia, and disease conviction occurred. Hypochondriasis appears to be a prominent feature of panic disorder and agoraphobia, and responds to treatment of the primary conditions. Our findings underscore the importance of providing adequate treatment and thereby avoiding wasteful use of medical resources and alienation of patients from doctors.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © 1986 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association (1985) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd. ed.), Revised draft, October 5,1985. Washington DC: APA.Google Scholar
Beck, A. T. et al (1974) Ideational components of anxiety neurosis. Archives of General Psychiatry, 31, 319325.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Buglass, D., Clark, J., Henderson, A. S., Kreitman, N. & Presley, A. S. (1977) A study of agoraphobic housewives. Psychological Medicine, 7, 7386.Google Scholar
Blrsky, A. J. & Klerman, G. L. (1983) Overview: hypochondriasis, bodily complaints and somatic styles. American Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 273283.Google Scholar
Clancy, J. & Noyes, R. Jr (1976) Anxiety neurosis: a disease for the medical model. Psychosomatics, 17, 15.Google Scholar
Hamilton, M. (1959) The assessment of anxiety states by rating. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 32, 5055.Google Scholar
Harper, M. & Roth, M. (1962) Temporal lobe epilepsy and the phobic anxiety-depersonalization syndrome. Part 1: a comparative study. Comparative Psychiatry, 3, 129151.Google Scholar
Katon, W. (1984) Panic disorder and somatization. American Journal of Medicine, 77, 101106.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lader, M. (1978) Physiological research in anxiety. In Research in Neurosis (ed. H. M. van Praag). New York: Spectrum Publications.Google Scholar
Noyes, R. Jr, Clancy, J., Hoenk, P. R. & Slymen, D. J. (1980) The prognosis of anxiety neurosis. Archives of General Psychiatry, 37, 173178.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pilowsky, I. (1967) Dimensions of hypochondriasis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 113, 8993.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pilowsky, I. (1980) Disagreement between patient and doctor: implications for diagnosis and management. American Family Physician, 9, 580584.Google ScholarPubMed
Pilowsky, I. & Spence, N. D. (1983) Manualfor the Illness Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ) (2nd ed.), Adelaide, South Australia: University of Adelaide Department of Psychiatry.Google Scholar
Pilowsky, I. & Spence, N. D. (1975) Patterns of illness behavior in patients with intractable pain. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 19, 279287.Google Scholar
Sheehan, D. V., Ballenger, J. & Jacobsen, G. (1980) Treatment of endogenous anxiety with phobic, hysterical, and hypochondriacal symptoms. Archives of General Psychiatry, 37, 5159.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spitzer, R. L. & Williams, J. B. W. (1982) Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III (SCID). New York: Biometrics Research Department, New York State Psychiatric Institute.Google Scholar
Tyrer, P., Lee, I. & Alexander, J. (1980) Awareness of cardiac function in anxious, phobic and hypochondriacal patients. Psychological Medicine, 10, 171174.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1980) International Classification of Diseases (9th ed.) (ICD-9). Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.