Conditions: Hypochondriasis
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 195
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This study will compare the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy, antidepressant medication, and a combination of the two for treating hypochondriasis.

Detailed description:
Hypochondriasis is one of the most difficult psychiatric disorders to treat. People with hypochondriasis believe that real or imagined physical symptoms are signs of serious illnesses, despite medical reassurance and other evidence to the contrary. Symptoms of the disorder include a preoccupation with fear of an illness; a persistent fear of having a serious illness, despite medical reassurance; and misinterpretation of symptoms. Some individuals with hypochondriasis recognize that their fear of having a serious illness may be excessive, unreasonable, or unfounded. Episodes of hypochondriasis usually last from months to years, with equally long periods of remission. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and the antidepressant drug fluoxetine (FLX) have both been shown to be effective treatments for hypochondriasis. However, the relative efficacy of a combined approach has yet to be determined. This study will compare the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy, antidepressant medication, and a combination of the two for treating hypochondriasis.

Participants in this double-blind study will first report to the study site for two sessions to determine eligibility for participation. Eligible individuals will then be randomly assigned to receive one of the following four treatments for 12 weeks: CBT only; FLX only; CBT plus FLX; or a placebo pill. All participants receiving medication will also receive supportive therapy. Treatment response will be assessed at Week 12, and participants who have shown improvement will continue in the study for an additional 12 weeks. Participants who have not responded to treatment will be removed from the study and will receive open treatment. Participants assigned to receive medication or placebo will take medication once daily for the full 24 weeks. Participants assigned to CBT only or CBT plus FLX will receive CBT weekly for the first 8 weeks, then biweekly until Week 12, and then monthly until week 24. Outcomes will be assessed at study visits at Weeks 6, 12, 24, and 48, and over the phone at Week 36.

Arms:
arm 1: Patients in this arm only received Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Six, 60 minute weekly sessions were followed by 4 bi-weekly sessions and 3 monthly booster sessions. arm 2: Patients only received placebo pills accompanied by medication management supportive therapy; including non-specific encouragement, support and explanation similar to that provide in a physician's office. arm 3: Patients only received the SSRI Fluoxetine. Medication was adminstered on a fixed-flexible dosing regimen, beginning at 10mg/day for 2 weeks, then 20 mg/day for 2 weeks, 40 mg/day for two weeks, 60 mg/day for 2 weeks, and 80 mg/day (the target dose) thereafter. This was accompanied by medication management supportive therapy; including non-specific encouragement, support and explanation similar to that provide in a physician's office. arm 4: Patients in this arm received both CBT and the fluoxetine medication. Both interventions were administered in the same way as when adminstered alone in the other arms.

Interventions: intervention 1: Fluoxetine intervention 2: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) intervention 3: Supportive Therapy intervention 4: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Each patient will receive fluoxetine in 10 or 20 mg pills given according to the following schedule: 10 mg/day for two weeks, 20 mg/day for two weeks, 40 mg/day for two weeks, 60 mg/day for two weeks, and 80 mg/day thereafter. The maximum dose for patients who are age 60 or older will be 60 mg/day. The study psychiatrist will have the option of not increasing or lowering the dose if hypochondriacal symptoms have resolved nearly completely for the last two weeks or adverse effects thought to be due to fluoxetine have occurred. intervention 2: CBT is based upon the cognitive and perceptual model of hypochondriasis and incorporates established behavioral techniques. There will be six 60-minute individual sessions conducted at weekly intervals. Booster sessions of 20 to 30 minutes will be conducted at Weeks 8 and 12. The introduction of boosters will make the CBT alone and medication alone arms identical in length. intervention 3: The supportive therapy component of the treatment is similar to what might occur in a family physician's office. Participants will meet with the same psychiatrist throughout the study, who will offer general encouragement; review the participant's illness, physical symptoms and, adverse effects over the previous week; and monitor medication dosage accordingly. Patients will be seen at Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, for medication adjustment. Visits with the psychiatrist will last 30 minutes. intervention 4: Each patient will receive placebo in 10 or 20 mg pills given according to the following schedule: 10 mg/day for two weeks, 20 mg/day for two weeks, 40 mg/day for two weeks, 60 mg/day for two weeks, and 80 mg/day thereafter.

Protocol document: