ADDITIONAL FINDINGS ON THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ANXIETY SENSITIVITY AND HYPOCHONDRIACAL CONCERNS - EXAMINATION OF PATIENTS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION

Hypochondriacal concerns ranging from disease phobias to bodily preocc upations are common among patients with panic disorder. In a previous study of patients with panic disorder, we found that, of a number of s ymptom dimensions examined, anxiety sensitivity was the strongest pred ictor of hypochondriacal concerns. This finding has been the topic of subsequent debate in the anxiety literature, with concerns raised whet her true hypochondriacal concerns were confounded with typical panic-r elated concerns. To clarify this issue, we now report on the associati on between anxiety sensitivity and hypochondriacal concerns in 100 pat ients with major depression and no history of panic disorder. Consiste nt with our previous study, we found that of the symptoms examined-anx iety sensitivity, depressed mood, anxious mood, somatic symptoms, and anger/hostility -anxiety sensitivity was the strongest predictor of hy pochondriacal concerns. Findings are discussed in relation to the role of catastrophic interpretations of somatic symptoms in depression, pa nic disorder, and hypochondriasis. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.