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Hypochondriacal patients' beliefs about good health
A J Barsky1, R R Coeytaux, M K Sarnie
1Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|July 1, 1993
Summary
Hypochondriacal patients perceive more symptoms as signs of illness compared to healthy individuals. This belief that good health means being symptom-free may explain many features of hypochondriasis.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Medical Psychology
Background:
- Hypochondriasis is characterized by excessive worry about having a serious illness.
- Patients with hypochondriasis may have an altered perception of bodily sensations and health norms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that hypochondriacal patients view good health as a symptom-free state.
- To compare symptom interpretation between hypochondriacal and non-hypochondriacal individuals.
Main Methods:
- The Health Norms Sorting Task was developed to assess individuals' health standards.
- The task involved classifying 24 ambiguous symptoms as indicative of health or illness.
- The instrument was administered to 60 patients with DSM-III-R hypochondriasis and 60 controls.
Main Results:
- Hypochondriacal patients identified significantly more symptoms as indicative of disease than controls.
- Health Norms Sorting Test scores correlated with hypochondriacal symptoms, somatization, and bodily amplification.
- Scores did not correlate with medical morbidity, healthcare use, or demographics.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the hypothesis that hypochondriasis involves a belief in symptom-free health.
- This perception may contribute to somatic symptoms, preoccupation with the body, and resistance to reassurance in hypochondriasis.