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Anxiety as a context for understanding associations between hypochondriasis, obsessive-compulsive, and panic attack
Susan L Longley1, John E Calamari, Kevin Wu
1Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA. susan.longley@rosalindfranklin.edu
Behavior Therapy
|November 2, 2010
Summary
This study clarifies hypochondriasis within the integrative model of anxiety and depression. Findings indicate hypochondriasis shares anxiety
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Hypochondriasis, now often referred to as illness anxiety disorder, is frequently discussed within the context of anxiety and depression.
- The integrative model of anxiety and depression posits that these conditions share broad, common factors alongside unique symptom presentations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether hypochondriasis is fundamentally an anxiety-related condition.
- To refine the empirical taxonomy of psychological disorders by clarifying the nature of hypochondriasis.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from a large nonclinical sample.
- Confirmatory factor analysis utilizing a higher-order, bifactor model.
Main Results:
- Data aligned with the integrative model, showing anxiety comprises shared and unique symptom factors.
- Unique symptom factors for hypochondriasis, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic attacks correlated with shared negative and positive emotionality factors.
- The bifactor model demonstrated that both shared and unique hypochondriasis and anxiety symptom factors significantly contributed to variance.
Conclusions:
- Hypochondriasis exhibits characteristics consistent with anxiety disorders.
- The study refines the understanding of hypochondriasis, differentiating it from other conditions while confirming its link to anxiety.
- Findings support a nuanced view of hypochondriasis within a broader dimensional framework of emotionality and psychopathology.
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