Dysfunctional illness-related cognitions in individuals with hypochondriasis and change thereof

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In cognitive models, an essential role is ascribed to dysfunctional illness-related interpretations in the development and maintenance of hypochondriasis. The specificity of these dysfunctional illness-related cognitions for hypochondriasis has not yet been empirically backed. In the current study, patients with hypochondriasis are compared to patients with panic disorder regarding their illness-related cognitions, as panic disorder and hypochondriasis exhibit the greatest phenomenological similarities and cognitive models of these disorders show definite overlapping. Different questionnaires and experimental procedures are applied for the collection of illness-related beliefs. Furthermore, the patients with hypochondriasis are psychotherapeutically treated in a randomized controlled trial. Cognitive Therapy vs. Exposure Therapy vs. waiting period are compared concerning their effectiveness and the impact on dysfunctional illness-related interpretations. The verification of adherence is given special attention. Thus, a portion of the therapy videos is assessed by two independent raters with regard to treatment integrity of the therapeutic procedure.