Exposure-based cognitive–behavioural therapy via the internet and as bibliotherapy for somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder: randomised controlled trial

Abstract

ICBT, U-ICBT and bibliotherapy can be highly effective in the treatment of SSD and IAD. This is the first study showing that these new DSM-5 disorders can be effectively treated.

The efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy in somatoform disorders and medically unexplained physical symptoms: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

“…The 15 included studies reported outcomes. Of 15 trials reviewed, three were performed in the United States (26,28,37), three in the Netherlands (38)(39)(40), two in Denmark (27,32), two in Sweden (41,42), one in Germany (43), two in Sri Lanka (29,44), one in Scotland (45) and one in Spain (46). Only two studies were carried out in a low and middle income country (Sri Lanka) (29,44).…”

“…Questionnaire (PHQ-15). Three studies targeted somatoform disorders (28,32,43), three studies targeted somatisation disorder (26,37,41), five studies focused on medically unexplained physical symptoms (29,39,44,45,47), one study focused on somatisation disorder and functional somatic syndromes (27), one study focused on somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder (42), one study focused on abridged somatisation disorder (46), and one study focused on undifferentiated somatoform disorder or a chronic pain disorder (31).…”

“…outpatient clinics) (39,41,43), one study recruited in primary care and secondary care (31), one study recruited in tertiary care settings (32), and two studies recruited via medical settings as well as the open population (e.g. through advertisements) (37,42). Fourteen studies provided data for some of the outcomes, and one study did not provide any outcome data that were suitable for meta-analysis, because the authors only reported change scores (26).…”

Cognitive behavior therapy for health anxiety: systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical efficacy and health economic outcomes

“…In order to pool baseline estimates of health anxiety and depression, and also assess the possible moderating effect of these variables, it was necessary to convert baseline means on various scales to common metrics. For all studies except one [44], we were able to estimate mean health anxiety scores on the 14-item and 18-item Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI-14, HAI-18 [45]) and the Illness Attitudes Scales (IAS [46]), based on z-score linking (linear equating [47]) using estimates from two clinical samples [48,49]. That is, when baseline means on the HAI-14, HAI-18 or IAS were not available, health anxiety means were converted to z-scores using means and standard deviations from the aforementioned two studies.…”

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Medication and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Hypochondriasis

“…Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to reduce hypochondriacal symptoms, with effect sizes ranging from small to large (7–11). Other psychotherapies or adaptations of CBT are also beneficial in hypochondriasis, including exposure therapy (10), mindfulness-based CBT (12–14), acceptance and commitment therapy(11), attention training(15), and internet-based CBT(16). A more limited literature exists on the efficacy of pharmacotherapy.…”