Comparing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Antidepressant Medication, and Combined Treatment in Individuals With Hypochondriasis

Condition(s) targeted: Hypochondriasis

Intervention: Fluoxetine (Drug); Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Behavioral); Supportive Therapy (Other); Placebo (Drug)

Phase: Phase 1/Phase 2

Status: Recruiting

Sponsored by: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Official(s) and/or principal investigator(s):
Arthur J. Barsky, MD, Principal Investigator, Affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Brian Fallon, MD, Principal Investigator, Affiliation: Columbia Medical Center

Overall contact:
Nyryan V. Nolido, MA, Phone: 617-525-8403, Email: nnolido@partners.org

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

Official title: Treatment of Hypochondriasis With CBT and/or SSRI

Study design: Treatment, Randomized, Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor), Placebo Control, Parallel Assignment, Efficacy Study

Primary outcome:

Clinical Global Impressions Scale

Columbia Heightened Illness Concern - Obsessive-Compulsive Scale

Secondary outcome:

Heightened Illness Concern Severity Scale

Whiteley Index

State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

Beck-II Depression Inventory

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.

Minimum age: 21 Years. Maximum age: N/A. Gender(s): Both.

Criteria:

Inclusion Criteria

- Meets DSM-IV criteria for hypochondriasis; ascertained by Structured Diagnosis for

Hypochondriasis module of SCID-I, and meets a hypochondriasis severity rating of at least "moderate"

- Drug free for 6 weeks of all psychoactive or investigational medications (seven weeks

for fluoxetine) (Use of zolpidem or similar non-benzodiazepine hypnotics will be allowed).

- Approval from treating physician if concomitant psychoactive medications need to be

withdrawn prior to study participation

- English fluency and literacy

Exclusion Criteria

- Pregnant or nursing mothers and women of childbearing potential who are not taking

adequate birth control precautions

- Any of the following Axis I mental disorders: chronic pain syndrome, schizophrenia,

schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, bipolar disorder, alcohol abuse or dependence disorder (current or within the last six months), or substance abuse or dependence disorder (current or within the last twelve months). Patients with other comorbid psychiatric disorders are eligible based on the following three criteria: hypochondriasis must be the predominant presenting disorder; patient can not have a major co-morbid psychiatric disorder rated as "severe" on the Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI Scale); and patients can not have a co-morbid psychiatric disorder that causes significant functional impairment (significant functional impairment will be defined as an impairment that interferes in a marked way with expected role functioning, vocational and/or interpersonal).

- Suicidality within the last 6 months as established by a score of 9 or more on the

suicidality module of the MINI Plus.

- Symptom-contingent pending litigation, disability compensation, or workers'

compensation proceedings

- Major medical illness expected to worsen significantly, lead to hospitalization, or

likely to prove fatal in the next six months, established with the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS); Stable, chronic medical illness is not an exclusion criterion

- Not able to withdraw from concomitant psychoactive medications or currently taking

necessary other medication that might interact adversely with fluoxetine:

A) Taking psychoactive medications for psychiatric indications (i. e., DSM-IV psychiatric disorders) who prefer not to discontinue these medications or for whom discontinuation would be clinically inadvisable B) Taking medications that may interact adversely with fluoxetine: theophylline, certain anti-arrhythmic, warfarin, codeine, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, coumadin, digitoxin, flecainide, linazeline (Zyvox), or vinblastine C) This will not prevent partcipants taking stable doses for at least three months of medications prescribed for non-psychiatric indications, e. g. antidepressants for chronic pain, sedating antidepressants or anti-anxiety agents for insomnia, anti-convulsants for pain, from participating in the study. Participants will be allowed to remain on propanol during this study but will have their blood pressure and pulse monitored every four weeks. Use of tricyclic drugs concomitantly will result in exclusion from the study, unless the dose of tricyclic drugs is low (i. e. 10 mg for patients on doxepin or amitriptyline for sleep). Ascertained by patient report and the judgment of the study psychiatrist.

- Clinically important abnormalities in ECG, laboratory tests (including thyroid

function) or physical examination. "Clinically important" abnormalities are those that signify a treatment intervention is needed or a medical abnormality has not been sufficiently addressed. Patients with medical problems that are stable and chronic are eligible, but patients with medical problems that are unstable, acute, or inadequately evaluated will be excluded. A current electrocardiogram is required for all patients with symptoms suggestive of cardiac disease, including chest pain, dyspnea, palpitations, or lightheadedness; if no current electrocardiogram exists, the study will obtain one.

- History of severe side effects associated with fluoxetine or noncompliance with prior

CBT for hypochondriasis

- Previous adequate trial of either fluoxetine (eight weeks of which two weeks were at a

minimum dose of 60 mg/day) or CBT for hypochondriasis (at least four sessions specifically targeting hypochondriacal symptoms) will be excluded, regardless of prior response. Inability to ambulate or mobility restrictions that prohibit frequent travel to the hospital for treatment and evaluation.

Nyryan V. Nolido, MA, Phone: 617-525-8403, Email: nnolido@partners.org

Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States; Recruiting
Nyryan V. Nolido, MA, Phone: 617-525-8403, Email: nnolido@partners.org
Jessica R. Jones, BA, Phone: 617-525-8404, Email: jjones21@partners.org
Arthur J. Barsky, MD, Principal Investigator

Columbia Medical Center, New York Psychiatric Institute, New York City, New York 10032, United States; Recruiting
Brian Fallon, MD, Phone: 212-543-5487, Email: baf1@columbia.edu
Emily Doherty, BA, Email: doherty@nyspi.cpmc.columbia.edu
Brian Fallon, MD, Principal Investigator

Click here for more information regarding this study

Related publications:

Barsky AJ, Ahern DK. Cognitive behavior therapy for hypochondriasis: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2004 Mar 24;291(12):1464-70.

Barsky AJ, Wyshak G. Hypochondriasis and somatosensory amplification. Br J Psychiatry. 1990 Sep;157:404-9.

Barsky AJ. A 37-year-old man with multiple somatic complaints. JAMA. 1997 Aug 27;278(8):673-9. No abstract available.

Starting date: June 2006
Ending date: June 2011
Last updated: October 30, 2008