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Attributions about common bodily sensations: their associations with hypochondriasis and anxiety

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 1998

A. K. MacLEOD ,
C. HAYNES  and
T. SENSKY
A. K. MacLEOD
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London; and Department of Psychiatry, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, West Middlesex University Hospital, London
C. HAYNES
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London; and Department of Psychiatry, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, West Middlesex University Hospital, London
T. SENSKY
Affiliation:
From the Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London; and Department of Psychiatry, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, West Middlesex University Hospital, London
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Abstract

Background. Causal attributions about bodily sensations may determine help-seeking and influence patients' demands for medical treatment. The present study aimed to differentiate the causal attributions associated with health-related and non-health-related anxiety.

Methods. Anxious hypochondriacal, generally anxious, and non-anxious general practice attenders were compared on their propensity to give somatic, psychological or normalizing attributions for common bodily sensations, measured by number of each type of attribution in a given time period and the frequency of first response of each type.

Results. The groups differed in all three types of attributions. Giving more psychological and fewer normalizing attributions was related to general anxiety whereas giving more somatic attributions was related specifically to hypochondriasis.

Conclusions. Anxiety and hypochondriasis can be distinguished in terms of their associated patterns of attributions for bodily sensations, reinforcing the importance of attributional processes and interventions which use reattributional training.

Type
BRIEF COMMUNICATION
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 28 , Issue 1 , January 1998 , pp. 225 - 228
Copyright
© 1998 Cambridge University Press

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