Vicki, who suffers from illness anxiety disorder (aka hypochondriasis), comes from a very concerned and loving family that takes her physical complaints quite seriously. Describe three treatment approaches (and their level of effectiveness) that may help Vicki get better.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Sample Answer: Clinical reports indicate that reassurance and education seem to be effective in some cases-"surprisingly" because, by definition, patients with illness anxiety disorder are not supposed to benefit from reassurance about their health. However, reassurance is usually given only briefly by family doctors who have little time to provide the ongoing support and reassurance that might be necessary. Mental health professionals may well be able to offer reassurance in a more effective and sensitive manner, devote sufficient time to all concerns the patient may have, and attend to the "meaning" of the symptoms.Evaluations of more robust treatments have now appeared. CBT focused on identifying and challenging illness-related misinterpretations of physical sensations and on showing patients how to create "symptoms" by focusing attention on certain body areas. Bringing on their own symptoms persuaded many patients that such events were under their control. Patients were also coached to seek less reassurance regarding their concerns. CBT was more effective after treatment and at each follow-up point for both symptoms of illness anxiety disorder and overall changes in functioning and quality of life. But results were still "modest," and many eligible patients refused to enter treatment because they were convinced their problems were medical rather than psychological.A few recent reports suggest that drugs may help some people with illness anxiety disorder. Not surprisingly, these same types of drugs (antidepressants) are useful for anxiety and depression. In one study, CBT and the drug paroxetine (Paxil), a serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), were both effective, but only CBT was significantly different from a placebo condition.