Reexamining the domain of hypochondriasis: comparing the Illness Attitudes Scale to other approaches

J Anxiety Disord. 2009 Aug;23(6):760-6. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2009.02.016. Epub 2009 Mar 11.

Abstract

The present study examined utility of the Illness Attitudes Scale (IAS; [Kellner, R. (1986). Somatization and hypochondriasis. New York: Praeger Publishers]) in a non-clinical college sample (N=235). Relationships among five recently identified IAS dimensions (fear of illness and pain, symptom effects, treatment experience, disease conviction, and health habits) and self-report measures of several anxiety-related constructs (health anxiety, body vigilance, intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety sensitivity, and non-specific anxiety symptoms) were examined. In addition, this study investigated the incremental validity of the IAS dimensions in predicting medical utilization. The fear of illness and pain dimension and the symptom effects dimension consistently shared stronger relations with the anxiety-related constructs compared to the other three IAS dimensions. The symptom effects dimension, the disease conviction dimension, and the health habits dimension showed incremental validity over the anxiety-related constructs in predicting medical utilization. Implications for the IAS and future conceptualizations of HC are discussed.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attitude to Health*
  • Fear / psychology
  • Female
  • Health Behavior
  • Health Status
  • Humans
  • Hypochondriasis / diagnosis*
  • Hypochondriasis / psychology
  • Male
  • Pain / diagnosis
  • Pain / psychology
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data*
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Risk Factors
  • Somatoform Disorders / diagnosis
  • Surveys and Questionnaires