Long Term Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Patients with Health Anxiety

Abstract

Introduction

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been found to be an effective treatment of excessive health anxiety (HA), but the long-term effect over 18months has not been examined.

Objectives

Several studies have shown effect of CBT for HA-patients. However, these effects have been short or immediate after therapy. To our knowledge no studies have examined long-term effect of CBT for HA over 18 months.

Aims

To investigate the long-term effect of CBT on HA, focusing on level of HA, quality of life, subjective health complaints and general anxiety. Follow-up time was at least 10 years. Our hypothesis was that the effect was sustained.

Methods

Patients with HA received 16 sessions of CBT over a period of 12–18 months, and were followed up over at least 10 years. All patients fulfilled criteria for F45.2, hypochondriacal disorder according to ICD-10.

The patients answered several questionnaires, exploring areas such as HA, Quality of life, somatization, and mental health problems. Questionnaires were answered before CBT, after CBT and at follow up. Mixed model analysis was performed in SPSS 23.0 for all questionnaires.

Results

All scores were found to be significant in the Pre-CBT–Post-CBT and Pre-CBT–FU (0.034– < 0.001), and none were found to be significant in the Post-CBT–FU.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that for the majority of patients with HA, CBT has a significant and lasting long-term effect. This effect lasts up to ten years post therapy.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.