Personality Disorders in Hypochondriasis: A Comparison to Panic Disorder and Healthy Controls

Abstract

Previous studies found high prevalence rates of personality disorders (PDs) in patients with hypochondriasis; however, assessment was often based only on questionnaires. In the current study, a sample of 68 patients with hypochondriasis was compared to 31 patients with panic disorder and to 94 healthy controls. Participants were investigated with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders questionnaire (SCID-II questionnaire) and the SCID-II interview. Based on the cut-off scores of the SCID-II questionnaire, we found a prevalence rate of 45.6% for PD in patients with hypochondriasis. In comparison to healthy controls, patients with hypochondriasis showed characteristics of paranoid, borderline, avoidant, and dependent PDs in the dimensional assessment significantly more often. However, no significant differences were found between the clinical samples. Based on the SCID-II interview, only 2.9% of the patients with hypochondriasis fulfilled the criteria for a PD. These results suggest that PDs are not a specific characteristic of hypochondriasis.

Krankheitsängste und Hypochondrische Störung

“…B. die Schmerzstörung) [23]. Obwohl häufig angenommen wird, dass pathologische Krankheitsängste vermehrt mit Persönlichkeitsstörungen einhergehen, weisen nur 3 % der mit einer Hypochondrie diagnostizierten Personen eine komorbide Persönlichkeitsstörung auf [24].…”

Hypochondriac concerns and correlates of personality styles and affective states in bipolar I and II disorders

“…In clinics, some patients with major depressive disorder also met the diagnosis of hypochondriasis [15]. Compared to patients without hypochondriasis, depressed patients who are comorbid with hypochondriasis display more somatic symptoms, higher suicidal attempts, and more treatment-seeking [16–18]. Increased manic episodes during a lifetime are associated with an elevated hypochondriasis score in BD I [19].…”