Scientists have discovered that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can have a positive effect on the treatment of hypochondriasis.
A study published in the journal of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics aimed to investigate the treatment of anxiety as a predictor to improvements in the condition, it also sought to determine if the treatment effect was different in patients that set out with higher levels of anxiety.
The team used a total of 182 hypochondriacal participants, comprised of 139 women with a mean age of 42.1, which were randomly assigned to a CBT or control group.
All participants completed a self-report to measure their hyperchondriasis and anxiety levels before the study.
The CBT group then underwent six weekly 90-minute sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy while the control group just maintained their medication.
Participants were then surveyed again six months and 12 months after the treatment.
The study found that measures of hypochondriasis were significantly decreased after treatment in the CBT compared with the control group, as were anxiety and psychological symptoms.
Furthermore, it found that the high anxiety on entry into the CBT course led to a better outcome.
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