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The relationship between hypochondriasis and medical illness
A J Barsky1, G Wyshak, K S Latham
1Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Archives of Internal Medicine
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Hypochondriasis patients show similar medical issues as controls, but with more unexplained symptoms. Higher medical illness in controls correlated with hypochondriac-like symptoms, suggesting a link between physical health and health anxiety.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Internal Medicine
- Medical Psychology
Background:
- Hypochondriasis is a disorder characterized by excessive worry about having a serious illness.
- Understanding the relationship between hypochondriasis and actual medical morbidity is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare medical morbidity in patients diagnosed with hypochondriasis versus a control group.
- To investigate the association between medical morbidity and hypochondriacal symptoms within both groups.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 41 hypochondriasis patients and 75 controls from a primary care setting.
- Utilized structured diagnostic interviews, self-report questionnaires, medical record audits, and physician ratings to assess medical morbidity.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in aggregate medical morbidity between hypochondriasis patients and controls.
- Hypochondriasis patients exhibited more undiagnosed complaints and nonspecific medical findings.
- In controls, increased medical morbidity correlated with higher hypochondriacal symptom levels, particularly with serious conditions.
Conclusions:
- Medical morbidity does not fully explain hypochondriasis, but unexplained symptoms are more prevalent in these patients.
- The findings suggest a complex interplay between physical health status and health anxiety, especially in non-hypochondriac individuals.