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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffHypochondria is a chronic mental illness in which you fear having an undiagnosed serious or life-threatening disease. Hypochondria is currently considered a psychosomatic disorder, which means it's a psychological disorder with physical symptoms. However, some researchers believe hypochondria is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and its designation may eventually change.
With hypochondria, you believe that normal bodily sensations or vague symptoms mean that you have an underlying disease. For instance, you may believe that your body's occasional twinges mean you have cancer. Or that forgetting where you placed your car keys means you have Alzheimer's disease. You become so convinced that you seek doctor after doctor in search of a diagnosis. Hypochondria is also called hypochondriasis.
- Hypochondriasis. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association, 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Oct. 28, 2008.
- Oyama O, et al. Somatoform disorders. American Family Physician. 2007;76(9):1333-1338.
- Abramowitz JS, et al. Hypochondriasis: Conceptualization, treatment, and relationship to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychiatric Clinics of North America 2006;29:503-519.
- Bouman TK, et al. A psychoeducational approach to hypochondriasis: Background, content, and practice guidelines. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. 2008;15:231-243.
- Thomson AB, et al. Psychotherapies for hypochondriasis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007:CD006520.
- Harding KJ, et al. Advances in understanding illness anxiety. Current Psychiatry Reports. 2008;10:311-317.
- Greenberg DB, et al. Somatization disorder. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 10, 2008.
