Hypochondriacal attitudes comprise heterogeneous non-illness-related cognitions

Michael Schwenzer,Klaus Mathiak

doi:10.1186/1471-244x-12-173

Michael Schwenzer, Klaus Mathiak

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244x-12-173

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Abstract

BackgroundHypochondriacal attitudes were associated with cognitions not related to illness: Social fears, low self-esteem, and reduced warm glow effect, i.e. less positive appraisal of familiar stimuli. Only a single study had investigated the correlation of hypochondriacal attitudes with the warm glow effect so far and the present study aimed to corroborate this association. Particularly, the present investigation tested for the first time whether social fears, low self-esteem, and reduced warm glow effect represent distinct or related biases in hypochondriacal attitudes.MethodsFifty-five volunteers filled in the Hypochondriacal Beliefs and Disease Phobia scales of the Illness Attitude Scales, two scales enquiring social fears of criticism and intimacy, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The interaction of valence and spontaneous familiarity ratings of Chinese characters indicated the warm glow effect.ResultsA stepwise regression model revealed specific covariance of social fears and warm glow with hypochondriacal attitudes independent from the respective other variable. The correlation between low self-esteem and hypochondriacal attitudes missed significance.ConclusionsHypochondriacal attitudes are embedded in a heterogeneous cluster of non-illness-related cognitions. Each social fears and a reduced cognitive capacity to associate two features – positive appraisal and familiarity - could diminish the susceptibility to safety signals such as medical reassurance. To compensate for reduced susceptibility to safety signals, multifocal treatment and repeated consultations appear advisable.

Highlights

Hypochondriacal attitudes were associated with cognitions not related to illness: Social fears, low self-esteem, and reduced warm glow effect, i.e. less positive appraisal of familiar stimuli
The stepwise regression model included fear of intimacy and reduced warm glow effect for the prediction of hypochondriacal attitudes; variance explained by both independent variables: R2 = 0.22, F(2,52) = 7.3, p = 0.002
Hypochondriacal attitudes correlated with fear of criticism (ρ = −0.36, p = 0.006), fear of intimacy (ρ = −0.39, p = 0.003), and reduced warm glow effect (ρ = −0.37, p = 0.005)

Summary

Introduction

Hypochondriacal attitudes were associated with cognitions not related to illness: Social fears, low self-esteem, and reduced warm glow effect, i.e. less positive appraisal of familiar stimuli. A single study had investigated the correlation of hypochondriacal attitudes with the warm glow effect so far and the present study aimed to corroborate this association. The present investigation tested for the first time whether social fears, low self-esteem, and reduced warm glow effect represent distinct or related biases in hypochondriacal attitudes. Persons with hypochondriacal attitudes suffer from fears to be ill, their quality of life is clearly reduced [1,2]. The clinical manuals ICD-10 and DSM-IV define the most severe end of the spectrum [7] in terms of a cluster of symptoms persisting six month.

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