title: Internet-based cognitive-behavioural therapy for severe health anxiety: randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypochondriasis, characterised by severe health anxiety, is a common condition associated with functional disability. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective but not widely disseminated treatment for hypochondriasis. Internet-based CBT, including guidance in the form of minimal therapist contact via email, could be a more accessible treatment, but no study has investigated internet-based CBT for hypochondriasis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy of internet-based CBT for hypochondriasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomised controlled superiority trial with masked assessment comparing internet-based CBT (n = 40) over 12 weeks with an attention control condition (n = 41) for people with hypochondriasis. The primary outcome measure was the Health Anxiety Inventory. This trial is registrated with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00828152).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants receiving internet-based CBT made large and superior improvements compared with the control group on measures of health anxiety (between-group Cohen's d range 1.52-1.62).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Internet-based CBT is an efficacious treatment for hypochondriasis that has the potential to increase accessibility and availability of CBT for hypochodriasis.
authors.affiliation: Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm, Sweden. erik.hedman.2@ki.se
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hedman
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: Brjánn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ljótsson
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rück
authors.forename: Gordon J G
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Asmundson
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lindefors
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006998:Hypochondriasis / Q000628:therapy*; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales