Treatment for hypochondriacs effective but some hate the truth
This study was carried out by Arthur Barsky and his team, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston. Barsky said "Most hypochondriac people never will go to a psychiatrist. They'll say, 'I don't need to talk about this, I need somebody to stick a biopsy needle in my liver, I need that CAT scan repeated.' "
They studied 187 people. 102 people received psychotherapy while 85 received normal medical care. Those who had six sessions of psychotherapy showed significant improvements - 57% got much better from their hypochondria. Of the ones who received normal medical care only 34% improved.
About 5% of patients who see their primary-care doctors are hypochondriacs. The patient thinks he or she is ill and worries about it a lot - however, there is no physical illness there.
You can read about the study in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association).
It is difficult to track down and identify hypochondriacs because they are often switching doctors. They switch doctors a lot because they are looking for that positive diagnosis.
Tratamentul pentru hypochondriacs eficiente, dar unele urãsc adevãrul - Treatment for hypochondriacs effective but some hate the truth - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate