Psychopathology and treatment of severe health anxiety

Severe and persistent health anxiety (or hypochondriasis) is characterized by threat-based interpretations of bodily symptoms and health-related information. Until recently it was regarded as intractable, but there is increasing evidence that cognitive–behaviour therapy (CBT) for health anxiety is an effective and specific treatment for this condition. This contribution discusses clinical characteristics of the disorder, describes the cognitive–behavioural model for understanding severe health anxiety, and outlines the key elements of the treatment approach derived from the model.