Journal
CLINICAL MEDICINE
Volume 20, Issue 3, Pages 339-341Publisher
ROY COLL PHYS LONDON EDITORIAL OFFICE
DOI: 10.7861/clinmed.2019-0346
Keywords
Health anxiety; hypochondriasis; medically unexplained symptoms; psychological treatment; reassurance
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Health anxiety, formerly part of hypochondriasis, but now reformulated as excessive concern about health and, by extension, illness, comprises a large proportion of consultations in hospital practice. For too long it has been ignored in practice and not formally treated. This belief is no longer tenable, and in the last few years a number of easily administered psychological treatments have shown consistent benefit that help patients, practitioners and planners of services. A stepped care approach in which physicians and nurses are first helped to identify health anxiety, explain its significance to patients and then, if necessary, administer these treatments in the clinical setting without referral to psychiatric services, is recommended as a way forward. This approach should be embraced in secondary care.
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