Illness Anxiety Disorder: Psychopathology, Epidemiology, Clinical Characteristics, and Treatment

Illness anxiety disorder is a primary disorder of anxiety about having or developing a serious illness. The core feature is the cycle of worry and reassurance seeking regarding health, as opposed to a focus on relief of distress caused by somatic symptoms (as in Somatic Symptom Disorder). Clinically...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychosomatic medicine 2019-06, Vol.81 (5), p.398-407
Main Authors: Scarella, Timothy M, Boland, Robert J, Barsky, Arthur J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Anxiety disorders
Attitude to Health
Clinical significance
Cognitive ability
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Epidemiology
Female
Humans
Illnesses
Medical treatment
Panic Disorder - diagnosis
Panic Disorder - physiopathology
Panic Disorder - therapy
Phobic Disorders - diagnosis
Phobic Disorders - epidemiology
Phobic Disorders - physiopathology
Phobic Disorders - therapy
Psychological distress
Psychopathology
Psychopharmacology
Reassurance
Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - therapeutic use
Somatic symptoms
Symptoms
Therapeutic alliances
Worry
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Summary:Illness anxiety disorder is a primary disorder of anxiety about having or developing a serious illness. The core feature is the cycle of worry and reassurance seeking regarding health, as opposed to a focus on relief of distress caused by somatic symptoms (as in Somatic Symptom Disorder). Clinically significant health anxiety is common, with estimates ranging up to 13% in the general adult population. There are evidence-based treatments, including psychopharmacology and cognitive behavioral therapy, that can significantly alleviate symptoms. An understanding of the core psychopathology and clinical features of illness anxiety disorder is essential to fostering a working alliance with patients with health anxiety, as is the maintenance of an empathic, curious, and nonjudgmental stance toward their anxiety. Collaboration between medical providers is essential to avoid the pitfalls of excess testing and medical treatment.
ISSN:0033-3174
1534-7796
DOI:10.1097/PSY.0000000000000691