The Heterogeneity of Illness Behaviors in Patients with Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms

Abstract

Knowledge of the pattern of illness behavior in patients with MUPS enables us to improve psychological treatments that directly address specific aspects of illness behavior or health anxiety. Differences between sexes in illness behaviors require more differentiated consideration in future research.

The mediating effect of health anxiety in the relationship between functional somatic symptoms and illness behavior in Chinese inpatients with depression

“…Correlational analyses found an intensifying relationship between any two of FSS, HA, and IB. These findings are consistent with most previous literature suggesting that both elevated HA and severer SSs are significantly associated with more abnormal IB [9, 36–39] and with prior studies suggesting that severer SSs are linked to elevated HA [15, 17].…”

“…Typically, patients with high HA tend to hold the catastrophic interpretation with FSSs (this headache means a brain tumor) [41]. To seek reassurance about the fear of such symptoms and to alleviate this kind of HA, patients often enact inappropriate IB [36, 42]. Therefore, it seems reasonable that HA would be a potent mediating factor of this association between FSSs and IB.…”

Somatoform disorder in primary care: The influence of co‐morbidity with anxiety and depression on health care utilization

“…In accordance with the literature, our patient sample showed higher levels of HCU compared with the general population . While somatic HCU is not only costly, it also supports the development and maintenance of somatoform disorders .…”

“…In accordance with the literature, our patient sample showed higher levels of HCU compared with the general population. 26,47 While somatic HCU is not only costly, it also supports the development and maintenance of somatoform disorders. 48,49 Since psychological factors often remain neglected in patients with somatoform disorders, it takes up to 25 years for adequate treatment to take place.…”

Psychotherapeutische und ärztliche Inanspruchnahme bei persistierenden somatischen Symptomen: 4-Jahres-Katamnese des Netzwerks für somatoforme und funktionelle Störungen (Sofu-Net)

“…Dies deckt sich mit den Ergebnissen von Weiss et al [22], in der die Krankheitsangst sowie die symptombedingte Einschränkung einen bedeutenden Einfluss auf die erhöhte Inanspruchnahme der Gesundheitsdienste hatten. Krankheitsangst ist darüber hinaus mit dysfunktionalem Krankheitsverhalten assoziiert, wobei insbesondere Frauen eine erhöhte Inanspruchnahme zeigen [23].…”