Patterns of Hypochondriasis: A Principal Components Analysis

Bianchi, G. N.

doi:10.1192/bjp.122.5.541

Cited by 71 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Some authors have suggested that hypochondriasis is always secondary to another psychiatric disorder, usually an affective disturbance (Kenyon, 1964), but more recent studies have confirmed the existence of hypochondriasis as a primary condition (Bianchi, 1973). In this study careful assessment ensured that the patients were not suffering from primary depressive disorder.…”

Section: Depressive Symptomsmentioning

confidence: 88%

A Controlled Trial of Cognitive–Behavioural Treatment of Hypochondriasis

et al. 1996

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Section: Depressive Symptomsmentioning

confidence: 88%

A Controlled Trial of Cognitive–Behavioural Treatment of Hypochondriasis

et al. 1996

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“…From the results reported here it would appear that it is primary appraisals of threat, and neither loss nor challenge that are associated with HCs. It may be theoretically argued that death and illness events might be associated with HCs (Bianchi, 1973), however, the empirical evidence does not support this (see Kellner et al, 1983). There is some evidence that the bereaved may assume the symptoms of the deceased, the so called 'grief related facsimile illness' (Zisook & De Vaul, 1976) and that physical illness may be associated with subsequent psychiatric illness (Kellner, 1966).…”

Section: Additional Analysis and Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These two categories of life events were used as other workers have highlighted their potential importance to the development/maintenance of HCs (see Bianchi, 1973;Kellner et al, 1983). Events reported in Studies 1, 2, and 3 were content analysed and split into these two event categories.…”

Section: Additional Analysis and Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hypochondriacal concerns, somatosensory amplification, and primary and secondary cognitive appraisals

Ferguson

Swairbrick

Clare

et al. 2000

British Journal of Medical Psychology

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This paper uses data from four studies (N = 150, 150, 154 and 79) to examine the associations between hypochondriacal concerns (HCs) and stress appraisals (primary and secondary). A search activity account of HCs suggests that increased levels of HCs should be associated with positive appraisals of a stressful situation (i.e., increased levels of perceived challenge and perceived control). However, the results indicated that in terms of primary appraisals, increased perceptions of threat and not challenge were consistently associated with increased levels of HCs. Further, the results indicated that the association between threat and HCs is mediated by somatosensory amplification. Consistent with the search activity account it is shown that increased levels of perceived control (secondary appraisals) are associated with increased levels of HCs. The association for perceived control remains once variance due to somatosensory amplification is partialled and generalizes to a sample of patients with a sexually transmitted infection. The results are interpreted in relation to the transactional model of the stress process.

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“…Each scale reflects a specific cluster of attitudes, fears and beliefs identified mainly by previous factorial analyses (Pilowsky [20] and Bianchi [2, 21]) of responses of patients with hypochondriasis, disease phobia or persistent pain [10]. Every scale contains 3 items, rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from ‘no’ to ‘most of the time’, with high scores indicating severer hypochondriacal symptoms.…”

Section: Description Of the Iasmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Illness Attitude Scales

Sirri

Grandi²,

Fava³

2008

Psychother Psychosom

116

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Background: The Illness Attitude Scales (IAS) were developed by Robert Kellner as a clinimetric index for measuring hypochondriacal fears and beliefs (worry about illness, concerns about pain, health habits, hypochondriacal beliefs, thanatophobia, disease phobia, bodily preoccupations, treatment experience and effects of symptoms). The IAS have been extensively used in the past two decades, but there has been no comprehensive review of their properties and applications. Methods: A review of the literature using both computerized (Medline, PsycINFO) and manual searches was performed. Results: The IAS were found to successfully discriminate between hypochondriacal patients and control subjects, and between patients with various manifestations of illness behaviour. They showed a high test-retest reliability in normal subjects, and changed in the expected direction after treatment of hypochondriasis. The IAS were also positively related to other hypochondriasis-related measures, and yielded important information in a variety of medical and surgical settings. Their content has paved the way for the development of some of the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research. Conclusions: The clinimetric properties and high sensitivity of the IAS make them the gold standard for the self-rated assessment of hypochondriacal fears and beliefs.

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Patterns of Hypochondriasis: A Principal Components Analysis

Abstract: Hypochondriasis, though recognized as common and important, has not been accorded the study that its ubiquity and prominence might be thought to require. It is not long since anecdotes and uncontrolled observations masqueraded as knowledge.

Cited by 71 publications

References 7 publications

A Controlled Trial of Cognitive–Behavioural Treatment of Hypochondriasis

A Controlled Trial of Cognitive–Behavioural Treatment of Hypochondriasis

Hypochondriacal concerns, somatosensory amplification, and primary and secondary cognitive appraisals

The Illness Attitude Scales

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