Illness Anxiety Disorder

Care-seeking type

Medical care, including physician visits or undergoing tests and procedures, is frequently used

Care-avoidant type

Medical care is rarely used

Often comorbid with

anxiety and mood disorders

Severe illness anxiety has

a late age of onset, possibly because more physical health problems occur with aging

Only 20% of patients

who used to meet the diagnostic criteria for DSM-IV hypochondriasis now meet criteria for illness anxiety disorder

DSM-5 Criteria: Preoccupation with

fears of having or acquiring a serious illness

DSM-5 Criteria: If another medical condition is present or

there is a high risk for developing a medical condition (e.g., strong family history is present), the preoccupation is clearly excessive or disproportionate

DSM-5 Criteria: Somatic symptoms are not

present or, if present, are only mild in intensity

DSM-5 Criteria: There is a high level of

anxiety about health, and the individual is easily alarmed about personal health status.

DSM-5 Criteria: The individual performs

excessive health-related behaviors (e.g., repeatedly checks his or her body for signs of illness)

DSM-5 Criteria: Illness preoccupation has

been present for at least 6 months

DSM-5 Criteria: The illness-related preoccupation is not

better explained by another mental disorder, such as somatic symptom disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Specify whether:

Care-seeking type or Care-avoidant type

Very similar to

DSM-IV hypochondriasis

DSM-5 Criteria: The specific illness that is feared may

change over that period of time.

DSM-5 Criteria: The individual exhibits

maladaptive avoidance (e.g., avoids doctors’ appointments and hospitals).

Severe anxiety about

the possibility of having or acquiring a serious disease

Actual symptoms are

either very mild or absent

Strong

disease conviction

Medical reassurance

does not seem to help