Effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral group therapy for patients with hypochondriasis (health anxiety)

Weck, Florian; Gropalis, Maria; Hiller, Wolfgang; Bleichhardt, Gaby

doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.12.012

Cited by 23 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…No CBT subtype has yet proven superior to our knowledge. Several studies support CBT (8, 11, 12) or specific subtypes, including cognitive (13), exposure response (13), group (14), or mindfulness CBT (15). In the outpatient setting, therapy may take 3 or more months to demonstrate improvements over standard care, but the benefits usually persist even at 5-year follow-up (2, 8).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Severe Illness Anxiety Treated by Integrating Inpatient Psychotherapy With Medical Care and Minimizing Reassurance

et al. 2019

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Illness anxiety disorder (IAD, formerly hypochondriasis) is characterized by preoccupation with fear of serious illness despite medical reassurance. IAD is common, debilitating, challenging to treat, and results in high healthcare utilization. Outpatient management of IAD is challenging because patients can compulsively seek reassurance from numerous providers, which interferes with learning more productive coping skills. We present the case of a woman with severe IAD who presented to the emergency room with increasing frequency over several months, despite regular outpatient medical visits and escalating psychiatric care. We made the unusual decision to hospitalize her for IAD for 1 month, in the absence of typical hospitalization criteria. This hospitalization allowed us to consolidate all medical and psychiatric care into a single provider team and train all staff and family to communicate with her in a consistent manner. We successfully treated her by integrating a general cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) protocol into medical care and decision-making. In response to her numerous health concerns, we minimized medical work-up, reassurance, and reactive medication changes, and instead used the concerns as opportunities to reinforce the psychotherapy. This approach allowed us to simplify her medication regimen and manage her co-morbid hypertension and vitamin deficiencies. Though inpatient hospitalization is likely infeasible in most cases of IAD, outpatient providers may create similar treatment plans based on the example of our case report, without needing highly specialized expertise. Such a plan would require a straightforward understanding of IAD psychology, which we review here, combined with readily accessible tools including a universal CBT protocol, online CBT courses, and clinical symptom scales. We discuss our approach for responding to health concerns, maintaining therapeutic alliance, integrating CBT principles into patient interactions, and managing medications. Since patients with IAD share health concerns with all providers, staff, and family, we also include our own IAD communication guide, appropriate for a general audience, that demonstrates how to respond in these conversations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Severe Illness Anxiety Treated by Integrating Inpatient Psychotherapy With Medical Care and Minimizing Reassurance

et al. 2019

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“…Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps improve adaptation throughout the treatment and rehabilitation of patients who undergo amputation. CBT is well established as a treatment for mood disorders, and therapeutic approaches have been applied to various topics, such as body image and pain [50][51][52]. The goal is to help patients understand their emotions and thoughts related to their behavior and modify maladaptive cognitive patterns.…”

Section: In-hospital Rehabilitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychiatric understanding and treatment of patients with amputations

Kang

Seo

et al. 2021

Yeungnam Univ J Med

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Amputation changes the lives of patients and their families. Consequently, the patient must adapt to altered body function and image. During this adaptation process, psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder, can occur. The psychological difficulties of patients with amputation are often accepted as normal responses that are often poorly recognized by patients, family members, and their primary physicians. Psychological problems can interfere with rehabilitation and cause additional psychosocial problems. Therefore, their early detection and treatment are important. A multidisciplinary team approach, including mental health professionals, is ideal for comprehensive and biopsychosocial management. Mental health professionals could help patients set realistic goals and use adaptive coping styles. Psychiatric approaches should consider the physical, cognitive, psychological, social, and spiritual functions and social support systems before and after amputation. The abilities and limitations of physical, cognitive, psychological, and social functions should also be considered. To improve the patient's adaptation, psychological interventions such as short-term psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness meditation, biofeedback, and group psychotherapy can be helpful.

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“…Dabei unterscheiden sich verhaltensorientierte expositionsbasierte und kognitive Vorgehen in ihrer Wirksamkeit nicht voneinander [40]. Auch kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutische Gruppenangebote erweisen sich als ausreichend effektiv in der Reduktion von Krankheitsängsten [41]. Die Wirksamkeit von Verfahren der "3.…”

Section: Psychodynamische Ansätzeunclassified

Krankheitsängste und Hypochondrische Störung

Sauer¹,

Witthöft²

2020

Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr

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Krankheitsängste sind weit verbreitet und in ihrer pathologischen Ausprägung in Form der Hypochondrischen Störung (ICD-10) kostenintensiv für das Gesundheitssystem. In den letzten Jahren gab es Fortschritte bei der Erforschung und Entwicklung effektiver psychotherapeutischer Behandlungen. Kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutische Therapiekonzepte repräsentieren derzeit die Methode der Wahl zur Behandlung der Hypochondrischen Störung.

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Effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral group therapy for patients with hypochondriasis (health anxiety)

Cited by 23 publications

References 38 publications

Severe Illness Anxiety Treated by Integrating Inpatient Psychotherapy With Medical Care and Minimizing Reassurance

Severe Illness Anxiety Treated by Integrating Inpatient Psychotherapy With Medical Care and Minimizing Reassurance

Psychiatric understanding and treatment of patients with amputations

Krankheitsängste und Hypochondrische Störung

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