The development of illness beliefs.

This article is concerned with the factors that might lead to the development of illness fears. The hypothesis of a somatosensory amplification style (i.e, an augmented sensitivity in some people to both internal and external stimulation), and the hypothesis of inadequate concepts of health and illness, are presented as the two main explanations that scientific literature presents. The main scales that are used to diagnose illness fears are reviewed and the questions that presently challenge researchers are examined. Finally, suggestions for future studies are indicated.