Hypochondriasis, Illness Anxiety Disorder

Corey Mottesheard, DO, Heather C. Doty, DO and Lauren Penwell-Waines, PhD Reviewed 06/2019

BASICS

DESCRIPTION

Hypochondriasis can be described as a preoccupation with or fear of having a serious disease. This preoccupation or fear persists for at least 6 months despite appropriate medical ev...

DIAGNOSIS

According to DSM-5, hypochondriasis is classified in the “Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders” section as somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder.

Somatic symptom disorder (3...

TREATMENT

The goals of treatment should focus on improving the patient’s quality of life, symptom relief, and protecting the patient from the potential hazards of unnecessary and excessive laboratory,...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Protect the patient from unnecessary and excessive laboratory and radiologic tests.

Patient Monitoring

Patient should be seen on a regular basis.
Appointments shoul...

REFERENCES

Starcevic V. Hypochondriasis: treatment options for a diagnostic quagmire. Australas Psychiatry. 2015;23(4):369–373. [View Abstract on OvidMedline]

American Psychiatric Association. ...

ADDITIONAL READING

Barsky AJ. Assessing the new DSM-5 diagnosis of somatic symptom disorder. Psychosom Med. 2016;78(1):2–4. [View Abstract on OvidMedline]
Cloninger CR, Dokucu M. Somatoform and d...

CODES

ICD10

F45.21 Hypochondriasis
F45.22 Body dysmorphic disorder
F45.29 Other hypochondriacal disorders
F45.20 Hypochondriacal disorder, unspecified

ICD9

300.7 Hypochondriasis
300.82 Undifferentiated somat...

CLINICAL PEARLS

Hypochondriasis is the preoccupation with fears of having, or the idea of having, a serious disease that persists despite appropriate medical evaluation and reassurance.
The natural his...

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