Study Status: Active, not recruiting
Recruit Status: Active, not recruiting
Study Type: Interventional
Official Title: Outcome of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Patients With Severe Health Anxiety Treated in Group Only. A Randomised Controlled Trial. The CHAG-Trial. Categorical and Dimensional Characteristics of Perso
Brief Summary:
Background:
The prevalence of severe health anxiety is reported to be 1-2% in Western communities. This functional disorder is difficult for medical doctors to treat, the course of the disorder is often chronic, and that is costly for the social and health care systems as well as for the patients. A Cochrane metaanalysis from 2009 finds evidence for effectiveness of individual cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for patients with hypochondriasis. But no randomised controlled trials (RCT) of the effectiveness of classical CBT delivered only in groups for patients with severe health anxiety (hypochondriasis/illness anxiety disorder) has yet been conducted.
Aims:
1) to examine the effectiveness of group-CBT for patients with severe health anxiety compared to a wait-list group receiving usual care, 2) to perform a categorical and dimensional assessment of personality, 3) to examine predictors of outcome especially comorbid personality disorders, 4) to examine the relation between personality, illness perception and treatment outcome, 5) to compare the cost-effectiveness of these two treatments, 6) at a 2 years follow up to examine the course and long-term effectiveness of group-CBT for patients with severe health anxiety and some also followed by psychological treatment for comorbid personality disorders.
Main hypothesis:
Patients with severe HA who have received group CBT will at 6-month follow-up compared to a wait-list group receiving usual care show a significantly reduction in health anxiety.
Methods:
84 patients referred from medical doctors during 2014-15 to the Clinic of Liais