The Short Health Anxiety Inventory and Multidimensional Inventory of Hypochondriacal Traits: A Comparison of Two Self-Report Measures of Health Anxiety

Fergus, Thomas A.; Valentiner, David P.

doi:10.1007/s10608-011-9354-2

Cited by 28 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…An additional limitation of this study is that the amount of unique variance in ED visits accounted for by health anxiety was relatively small in the present study. However, it should be noted that the size of this relation is consistent with that found in past research examining the unique association between health anxiety and medical utilization Fergus & Valentiner, 2011). Finally, given that our sample was drawn from a residential SUD treatment facility, the present results might not generalize to substance users in outpatient treatment or the general population.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

The Contribution of Health Anxiety to Retrospectively-Recalled Emergency Department Visits within a Sample of Patients in Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

Fergus

Bardeen

Gratz

et al. 2014

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

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With the burden of emergency department (ED) use increasing, research examining the factors associated with ED visits among individuals who use the ED most frequently is needed. Given that substance use is strongly linked to ED visits, this study sought to examine the factors associated with greater ED visits among patients with substance use disorders (SUD). More precisely, we examined whether health anxiety incrementally contributes to the prediction of ED visits for medical care among adult patients (N = 118) in a residential substance abuse disorder treatment facility. As predicted, health anxiety was significantly positively correlated with ED visits during the past year. Furthermore, health anxiety remained a significant predictor of ED visits after accounting for sociodemographic variables, frequency of substance use, and physical health status. These results suggest that health anxiety may contribute to increased ED visits for medical care among individuals with SUD.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

The Contribution of Health Anxiety to Retrospectively-Recalled Emergency Department Visits within a Sample of Patients in Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

Fergus

Bardeen

Gratz

et al. 2014

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

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“…The hierarchical regression presented in Table 2 shows that health anxiety adds incrementally to the prediction of symptom reporting over and above the effects observed for positive and negative affectivity, replicating previous findings with respect to symptom reporting (Fergus & Valentiner, 2011; Ferguson, 2000). Furthermore, Ferguson, Cassaday, Ward, and Weyman (2006), using a daily diary methodology, have also shown that the severity of daily symptoms was predicted by health anxiety but not neuroticism, when both were modelled simultaneously (http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr501.pdf).…”

Section: Do Health Anxiety Empathy Alexithymia and Type D Lie Outsisupporting

confidence: 82%

Health specific traits beyond the Five Factor Model, cognitive processes and trait expression: replies to Watson (2012), Matthews (2012) and Haslam, Jetten, Reynolds, and Reicher (2012)

Ferguson

Ward²,

Skatova

et al. 2013

Health Psychology Review

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In this article we reply to the issues raised by the three commentaries on Ferguson's (2012) article. Watson argues that the four traits identified by Ferguson (2012) – health anxiety, alexithymia, empathy and Type D – do not lie outside the Five Factor Model (FFM). We present factor analytic data showing that health anxiety forms a separate factor from positive and negative affectivity, alexithymia forms a factor outside the FFM and while emotional empathy loads with agreeableness, cognitive empathy forms a separate factor outside the FFM. Across these analyses there was no evidence for a general factor of personality. We also show that health anxiety, empathic facets and alexithymia show incremental validity over FFM traits. However, the evidence that Type D lies outside the FFM is less clear. Matthews (2012) argues that traits have a more distributed influence on cognitions and that attention is not part of Ferguson's framework. We agree; but Ferguson's original statement concerned where traits have their maximal effect. Finally, Haslam et al. suggest that traits should be viewed from a dynamic interactionist perspective. This is in fact what Ferguson (2012) suggested and we go on to highlight that traits can also influence group processes.

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“…Medical services utilization represents a central way in which individuals with high levels of anxious attachment attempt to gain reassurance that they are medically healthy (Abramowitz et al, 2002;Fergus & Valentiner, 2011). This finding may suggest that the interpersonal manifestations of health anxiety are most salient to increased medical services utilization.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Role of Neuroticism and Insecure Attachment in Health Anxiety, Safety-Seeking Behavior Engagement, and Medical Services Utilization

Anagnostopoulos

Botse

2016

Sage Open

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The purpose of this study was to explore an extended interpersonal model of health anxiety, according to which healthanxious individuals are trapped in a vicious circle of health-related reassurance-seeking, alienation from others, and worry about health, while somatic absorption with body sensations, insecure attachment, neuroticism, safety-seeking behaviors, and medical services utilization were also included in the model. Data were collected from 196 Greek university students using standardized instruments. Results indicated that anxious attachment was directly related to absorption (β = .163, p < .05) and alienation (β = .204, p < .05), while avoidant attachment was directly related to absorption (β = −.344, p < .001), reassuranceseeking (β = −.130, p < .05), and alienation (β = .148, p < .05). Neuroticism was positively and significantly associated with all dimensions of health anxiety. Absorption, alienation, and anxious attachment were related to medical services utilization, which, in turn, was related to safety-seeking behaviors (β = .200, p < .01). Neuroticism and anxious attachment were also indirectly and positively associated with worry. Moreover, absorption was positively related to worry and reassuranceseeking, worry was positively related to reassurance-seeking, and alienation was positively related to worry. Study results highlight the key role that interpersonal (e.g., alienation from others) and perceptual factors (e.g., the tendency to focus on bodily sensations) can play in health anxiety maintenance, and the importance of anxious and avoidant attachment in safetyseeking behavior engagement. Implications of the results and suggestions for future research and practice are outlined.

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The Short Health Anxiety Inventory and Multidimensional Inventory of Hypochondriacal Traits: A Comparison of Two Self-Report Measures of Health Anxiety

Cited by 28 publications

References 31 publications

The Contribution of Health Anxiety to Retrospectively-Recalled Emergency Department Visits within a Sample of Patients in Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

The Contribution of Health Anxiety to Retrospectively-Recalled Emergency Department Visits within a Sample of Patients in Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

Health specific traits beyond the Five Factor Model, cognitive processes and trait expression: replies to Watson (2012), Matthews (2012) and Haslam, Jetten, Reynolds, and Reicher (2012)

Exploring the Role of Neuroticism and Insecure Attachment in Health Anxiety, Safety-Seeking Behavior Engagement, and Medical Services Utilization

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