Year: 2001 Source: American Journal of Psychiatry, v.158, no.5, (May 2001), p.783-787 SIEC No: 20050077

In 56 patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for hypochondriasis, compared with 127 nonhypochondriacal patients from the same primary care setting, the authors assessed the degree to which hypochondriasis is accompanied by a heightened sense of risk of disease & other physical hazards, including suicide attempt. The hypochondriacal group had a significantly higher total risk score than the nonhypochonriacal group due to the perception that they were likely to develop various diseases. (24 refs)