title: Acceptance and commitment group therapy for health anxiety--results from a pilot study.
abstract: Health anxiety (or hypochondriasis) is prevalent, may be persistent and disabling for the sufferers and associated with high societal costs. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a new third-wave behavioral cognitive therapy that has not yet been tested in health anxiety. 34 consecutive Danish patients with severe health anxiety were referred from general practitioners or hospital departments and received a ten-session ACT group therapy. Patients were followed up by questionnaires for 6 months. There were significant reductions in health anxiety, somatic symptoms and emotional distress at 6 months compared to baseline: a 49% reduction in health anxiety (Whiteley-7 Index), a 47% decrease in emotional distress (SCL-8), and a 40% decrease in somatic symptoms (SCL-90R Somatization Subscale). The patients' emotional representations and perception of the consequences of their illness (IPQ) improved significantly, and 87% of the patients were very or extremely satisfied with the treatment.
authors.affiliation: The Research Clinic for Functional Disorders and Psychosomatics, Aarhus University Hospital, Barthsgade 5.1, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eilenberg
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kronstrand
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frostholm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006998:Hypochondriasis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Health anxiety; Hypochondriasis; Illness perception; Somatization