Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-gtxcr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T07:39:26.099Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Cognitive therapy in the treatment of hypochondriasis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The term hypochondriasis was first coined over 2000 years ago to describe a physical illness afflicting the hypochondrium. Subsequently the term was used for a variety of physical illnesses, until the 17th century when forms of melancholia were labelled as hypochondriasis. Since then a very large number of psychiatric disorders have been given the term hypochondriasis, for example, a form of schizophrenia, anxiety neurosis and malingering (Kellner, 1986).

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 1998 

References

American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn) (DSM–IV). Washington, DC: APA.Google Scholar
Avia, M. D., Ruiz, M., Olivares, M. C. et al (1996) The meaning of psychological symptoms: effectiveness of a group intervention with hypochondriacal patients. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 34, 2331.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barsky, A., Geringer, E. & Wool, C. (1988) A cognitive-educational treatment for hypochondriasis. General Hospital Psychiatry, 10, 322327.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beck, A. T., Emery, G. & Greenberg, R. (1985) Anxiety Disorders and Phobias: A Cognitive Perspective. Basic Books: New York.Google Scholar
Bianchi, G. N. (1971) The origins of disease phobia. Australia and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 5, 241257.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fallon, B. A., Liebowitz, M. R., Salman, E. et al (1996) Fluoxetine for hypochondriacal patients without major depression. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 13, 438441.Google Scholar
Kellner, R. (1986) Somatization and Hypochondriasis. New York: Praeger.Google Scholar
Kellner, R., Fava, G. A. & Lisansky, J. (1993) Hypochondriacal fears and beliefs in DSM–III melancholia. Journal of Affective Disorders, 10, 2126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kenyon, F. E. (1964) Hypochondriasis: a clinical study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 110, 478488.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salkovskis, P. M. (1989) Somatic problems. In Cognitive-Behavioural Approaches to Adult Psychiatric Disorder: A Practical Guide (eds Hawton, K., Salkovskis, P. M., Kirk, J. W. et al), pp. 235276. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Salkovskis, P. M. & Warwick, H. M. C. (1986) Morbid preoccupations, health anxiety and reassurance: A cognitive–behavioural approach to hypochondriasis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24, 597602.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salkovskis, P. M. & Bass, C. (1996) Hypochondriasis. In Science and Practice of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (eds Clark, D. M. & Fairburn, C. G.) pp. 313339. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Stern, R. & Fernandez, M (1991) Group cognitive and behavioural treatment for hypochondriasis. British Medical Journal, 303, 12291230.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Visser, S. & Bouman, T. K. (1992) Cognitive–behavioural approaches in the treatment of hypochondriasis: Six single case cross-over studies. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 30, 301306.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warwick, H. M. C. (1992) Provision of appropriate and effective reassurance. International Review of Psychiatry, 4, 7180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warwick, H. M. C. & Marks, I. M. (1988) Behavioural treatment of illness phobia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 239241.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warwick, H. M. C. & Salkovskis, P. M. (1990) Hypochondriasis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 28, 105117.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warwick, H. M. C., Clark, D. M., Cobb, A. M. et al (1996) A controlled trial of cognitive-behavioural treatment of hypochondriasis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 169, 189195.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
World Health Organization (1992) The Tenth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD–10). Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.