Hypochondriacal concerns, somatosensory amplification, and primary and secondary cognitive appraisals.

Publisher: British Psychological Society Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 0370640 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 0007-1129 (Print) Linking ISSN: 00071129 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Br J Med Psychol Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: Letchworth Eng : British Psychological Society
Original Publication: London [etc.]

Attitude to Health*; Cognition/*physiology ; Hypochondriasis/*diagnosis; Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis/psychology ; Male ; Psychological Theory ; Retrospective Studies ; Sick Role ; Stress, Psychological/diagnosis ; Stress, Psychological/psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires

This paper uses data from four studies (N = 150, 150, 154 and 79) to examine the associations between hypochondriacal concerns (HCs) and stress appraisals (primary and secondary). A search activity account of HCs suggests that increased levels of HCs should be associated with positive appraisals of a stressful situation (i.e., increased levels of perceived challenge and perceived control). However, the results indicated that in terms of primary appraisals, increased perceptions of threat and not challenge were consistently associated with increased levels of HCs. Further, the results indicated that the association between threat and HCs is mediated by somatosensory amplification. Consistent with the search activity account it is shown that increased levels of perceived control (secondary appraisals) are associated with increased levels of HCs. The association for perceived control remains once variance due to somatosensory amplification is partialled and generalizes to a sample of patients with a sexually transmitted infection. The results are interpreted in relation to the transactional model of the stress process.

Date Created: 20000926 Date Completed: 20010126 Latest Revision: 20190915

20231215

10.1348/000711200160561

11003375