Josef Bailer1, Tobias Kerstner1, Michael Witthöft2, Carsten Diener3,4, Daniela Mier1, Fred Rist5. 1. a Department of Clinical Psychology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim , University Heidelberg , Mannheim , Germany. 2. b Department of Clinical Psychology , Johannes Gutenberg University , Mainz , Germany. 3. c School of Applied Psychology , SRH University of Applied Sciences , Heidelberg , Germany. 4. d Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health , University of Heidelberg , Mannheim , Germany. 5. e Department of Clinical Psychology , University of Münster , Münster , Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In the DSM-5, the diagnosis of hypochondriasis was replaced by two new diagnositic entities: somatic symptom disorder (SSD) and illness anxiety disorder (IAD). Both diagnoses share high health anxiety as a common criterion, but additonal somatic symptoms are only required for SSD but not IAD. DESIGN: Our aim was to provide empirical evidence for the validity of these new diagnoses using data from a case-control study of highly health-anxious (n = 96), depressed (n = 52), and healthy (n = 52) individuals. RESULTS: The individuals originally diagnosed as DSM-IV hypochondriasis predominantly met criteria for SSD (74%) and rarely for IAD (26%). Individuals with SSD were more impaired, had more often comorbid panic and generalized anxiety disorders, and had more medical consultations as those with IAD. Yet, no significant differences were found between SSD and IAD with regard to levels of health anxiety, other hypochondriacial characteristics, illness behavior, somatic symptom attributions, and physical concerns, whereas both groups differed significantly from clinical and healthy controls in all of these variables. CONCLUSION: These results do not support the proposed splitting of health anxiety/hypochondriasis into two diagnoses. Further validation studies with larger samples and additional control groups are warranted to prove the validity of the new diagnoses.
BACKGROUND: In the DSM-5, the diagnosis of hypochondriasis was replaced by two new diagnositic entities: somatic symptom disorder (SSD) and illness anxiety disorder (IAD). Both diagnoses share high health anxiety as a common criterion, but additonal somatic symptoms are only required for SSD but not IAD. DESIGN: Our aim was to provide empirical evidence for the validity of these new diagnoses using data from a case-control study of highly health-anxious (n = 96), depressed (n = 52), and healthy (n = 52) individuals. RESULTS: The individuals originally diagnosed as DSM-IV hypochondriasis predominantly met criteria for SSD (74%) and rarely for IAD (26%). Individuals with SSD were more impaired, had more often comorbid panic and generalized anxiety disorders, and had more medical consultations as those with IAD. Yet, no significant differences were found between SSD and IAD with regard to levels of health anxiety, other hypochondriacial characteristics, illness behavior, somatic symptom attributions, and physical concerns, whereas both groups differed significantly from clinical and healthy controls in all of these variables. CONCLUSION: These results do not support the proposed splitting of health anxiety/hypochondriasis into two diagnoses. Further validation studies with larger samples and additional control groups are warranted to prove the validity of the new diagnoses.
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