Document Detail


The course of transient hypochondriasis.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  8434667     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: This study examined the longitudinal course of patients known to have had a previous episode of transient hypochondriasis. METHOD: Twenty-two transiently hypochondriacal patients and 24 nonhypochondriacal patients from the same general medical clinic were reexamined after an average of 22 months with the use of self-report questionnaires, structured diagnostic interviews, and medical record review. RESULTS: The hypochondriacal patients continued to manifest significantly more hypochondriacal symptoms, more somatization, and more psychopathological symptoms at follow-up. They also reported significantly more amplification of bodily sensations and more functional disability and utilized more medical care. These differences persisted after control for differences in medical morbidity and marital status. Only one hypochondriacal patient, however, had a DSM-III-R diagnosis of hypochondriasis at follow-up. Multivariate analyses revealed that the only significant predictors of hypochondriacal symptoms at follow-up were hypochondriacal symptoms and the tendency to amplify bodily sensations at the baseline evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: Hypochondriacal symptoms appear to have some temporal stability: patients who experienced hypochondriacal episodes at the beginning of the study were significantly more hypochondriacal 2 years later than comparison patients. They were not, however, any more likely to develop DSM-III-R-defined hypochondriasis. Thus, hypochondriacal symptoms may be distinct from the axis I disorder. The data are also compatible with the hypothesis that preexisting amplification of bodily sensations is an important predictor of subsequent hypochondriacal symptoms.
Authors:
A J Barsky; P D Cleary; M K Sarnie; G L Klerman
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.    
Journal Detail:
Title:  The American journal of psychiatry     Volume:  150     ISSN:  0002-953X     ISO Abbreviation:  Am J Psychiatry     Publication Date:  1993 Mar 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1993-03-16     Completed Date:  1993-03-16     Revised Date:  2007-11-14    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0370512     Medline TA:  Am J Psychiatry     Country:  UNITED STATES    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  484-8     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Ambulatory Care
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Hypochondriasis / diagnosis*,  psychology
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Marital Status
Morbidity
Patient Acceptance of Health Care
Personality Inventory
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Somatoform Disorders / diagnosis,  psychology
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
MH-40487/MH/NIMH NIH HHS

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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