Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T09:23:58.045Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Illness anxiety disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

P. Hervias Higueras ,
S. García Jorge  and
J. Correas Lauffer
P. Hervias Higueras*
Affiliation:
Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitario del Henares, Coslada, Madrid., Spain
S. García Jorge
Affiliation:
Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitario del Henares, Coslada, Madrid., Spain
J. Correas Lauffer
Affiliation:
Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitario del Henares, Coslada, Madrid., Spain
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Introduction

The diagnosis of hypochondria has disappeared in the new classification of mental illness. About 25% of patients who were diagnosed with hypochondria now fall into the category illness anxiety disorder. This disorder constitutes a new diagnostic category in DSM5 and is included within the somatic symptom and related disorders.

Objectives

We propose to carry out a bibliographic review off the new diagnostic category of illness anxiety disorder.

Methods

We present the clinical case of a 27-year-old man in the context of the Covid19 pandemic.

Results

The illness anxiety disorder is characterized by being concerned about having or acquiring a serious illness. Somatic symptoms are not present, but if they are, they are of mild intensity. The level of concern is excessive or disproportionate if there is any disease or if there is a high risk of developing it. There is a high level of health anxiety and the individual is easily alarmed by personal health status. It is a disorder that tends to be chronic and recurrent. The exact comorbidity is still unknown. However, it is important to keep in mind that hypochondria concurs with anxiety disorders and depressive disorders. Treatment is based on the cognitive restructuring of bodily symptoms. In addition, exposure therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy are also effective. Regarding pharmacological treatment, SSRIs are useful in relation with comorbidity.

Conclusions

Illness anxiety disorder is characterized by significant attention to somatic concerns in medical places, making it very useful for primary care professionals.

Keywords

illness anxiety disordersomatic symptom and related disordershypochondria
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 64 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 29th European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2021 , pp. S255
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.