Browsing by Subject "hypokondria"

Aims. Health anxiety is defined as persistent preoccupation or fear about the possibility of having one or more serious illnesses. According to cognitive-behavioral model the critical mechanisms for the maintenance of health anxiety are cognitive, affective, physiological and behavioral. Understanding the cognitive-behavioral model, treatment efficacy and mediators of treatment effect is likely to facilitate the development of better treatments. The aim of the present review is to investigate clinical efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy for health anxiety and to investigate mediators of treatment effect. Methods. Literature search was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science -databases. In addition Google scholar was used. When the clinical efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy was investigated the search terms included "hypochondriasis" OR "health anxiety" OR "illness anxiety" AND "treatment”. The search was limited to include only meta-analyses and systematic reviews. When the mediators of treatment effect were investigated the search terms included "hypochondriasis" OR "health anxiety" OR "illness anxiety" AND "mediators" AND "treatment”. Results and conclusions. According to meta-analyses cognitive behavior therapy is efficacious treatment for health anxiety. The preliminary findings suggest that improvement in cognitive behavior therapy for health anxiety is at least partially mediated by change in the maintenance mechanisms proposed by the cognitive behavioral model. Mediators of treatment effect may be reduced perceived risk of disease, less attention to bodily symptoms, and increased tolerance of uncertainty. According to one study non-reactivity to inner experiences, health anxiety behaviours, perceived competence in managing health anxiety and somatosensory amplification may be better viewed as secondary outcomes of the treatment than as mediators. The preliminary findings are promising but further investigations are needed.