Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

A new, empirically established hypochondriasis diagnosis.

Per Fink1, Eva Ørnbøl, Tomas Toft

  • 1Research Unit for Functional Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. flip@akh.aaa.dk

The American Journal of Psychiatry
|September 1, 2004
PubMed
Summary

This study identified a distinct hypochondriasis symptom cluster, improving diagnosis beyond current DSM-IV criteria. New criteria show higher prevalence and better differentiation for this illness anxiety disorder.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

[Organisation of assessment and treatment of functional somatic disorders].

Ugeskrift for laeger·2026
Same author

Overlap and distinction between fear of cancer recurrence and health anxiety in long-term colorectal cancer survivors.

Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice·2026
Same author

Fatigue, neurological, and cognitive symptoms after COVID-19 - a nationwide matched cohort study in Denmark.

Infectious diseases (London, England)·2026
Same author

Patient experiences with internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for multi-system functional somatic disorder: A qualitative study.

Internet interventions·2026
Same author

Reply to Alcántara Montero: Towards a unified paradigm: chronic pain and functional somatic disorders.

Pain·2026
Same author

Prevention of depression in patients with atrial fibrillation using an online personalized intervention: The HOPE-AF feasibility study.

European journal of cardiovascular nursing·2026

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Medical Psychology
  • Clinical Diagnosis

Background:

  • The current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) definition of hypochondriasis is restrictive, leading to infrequent use and significant diagnostic overlap with other somatoform disorders.
  • Existing diagnostic criteria do not adequately capture the full spectrum of illness anxiety, necessitating a refined approach for accurate identification and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify a distinct cluster of hypochondriasis symptoms using latent class analysis.
  • To define new diagnostic criteria for hypochondriasis that improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce overlap with other disorders.
  • To compare the prevalence and characteristics of the newly defined hypochondriasis with the DSM-IV diagnosis.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • A total of 1,785 primary care patients were screened for somatization, anxiety, depression, and alcohol abuse.
  • A subgroup of 701 patients underwent detailed interviews using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry and specific hypochondriasis symptom questions.
  • Latent class analysis was employed to identify distinct symptom patterns and define diagnostic classes.

    • Main Results:

    • Three distinct patient classes emerged based on six key symptoms: preoccupation with illness, rumination about health, suggestibility, fear of infection, fascination with medical information, and fear of medication.
    • The new criteria defined "mild" and "severe" hypochondriasis, with a weighted prevalence of 9.5% for severe cases, significantly higher than the 5.8% for DSM-IV hypochondriasis.
    • The refined diagnostic approach demonstrated reduced overlap with other somatoform disorders and similar overlap with nonsomatoform psychiatric disorders, while maintaining similar physician assessments.

    Conclusions:

    • Rumination about illness, combined with at least one other identified symptom, forms a distinct diagnostic entity for hypochondriasis.
    • The proposed diagnostic criteria perform better than current DSM-IV hypochondriasis diagnosis in terms of specificity and prevalence.
    • These preliminary criteria require cross-validation in diverse patient populations to confirm their clinical utility.