Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for Health Anxiety (Hypochondriasis): Rationale, Implementation and Case Illustration
Christina Surawy, Freda McManus, Kate Muse, J. Mark G. Williams
Mindfulness January 21, 2014 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-013-0271-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy |
| Duration | 8-week MBCT course |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | MBCT may be a useful alternative for treating health anxiety by targeting underlying mechanisms such as rumination, avoidance, hypervigilance to body sensations, and misinterpretation of those sensations. |
Abstract
Recent research has shown that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) could be a useful alternative approach to the treatment of health anxiety and deserves further investigation. In this paper, we outline the rationale for using MBCT in the treatment of this condition, namely its hypothesised impact on the underlying mechanisms which maintain health anxiety, such as rumination and avoidance, hypervigilance to body sensations and misinterpretation of such sensations. We also describe some of the adaptations which were made to the MBCT protocol for recurrent depression in this trial and discuss the rationale for these adaptations. We use a case example from the trial to illustrate how MBCT was implemented and outline the experience of one of the participants who took part in an 8-week MBCT course. Finally, we detail some of the more general experiences of participants and discuss the advantages and possible limitations of this approach for this population, as well as considering what might be useful avenues to explore in future research.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persistent Palinopsia Following Ingestion of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) Patients who developed persistent palinopsia after LSD ingestion | 1996 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Cannabis‐induced Koro in Americans American men aged 22-26 with years of cannabis experience who reported negative... | 2001 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Psilocybin and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Individual with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder | 2014 | Case study | n = 1 |
| LSD-Like Panic From Risperidone in Post-LSD Visual Disorder Patients with hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD) | 1996 | Case study | n = 3 |
| Ketamine-Enhanced Psychotherapy: Preliminary Clinical Observations on its Effects in Treating Death Anxiety Terminally-ill people suffering death anxiety | 2007 | Review and case study | n = 2 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- The Two Arrows of Pain: Mechanisms of Pain Related to Meditation and Mental States of Aversion and Identification Mindfulness January 28, 2022
- The Effect of Internet-delivered Mindfulness Stress Reduction Combined with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Health Anxiety and Quality of Life of Caregiver of Patients Infected by COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial. April 1, 2023
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy untuk Menurunkan Kecemasan dalam Masa Quarter Life Intuisi : Jurnal Psikologi Ilmiah July 31, 2023
- Mindfulness dan Health Anxiety pada Individu Dewasa Awal Journal Psikogenesis February 2, 2026
- Effect of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program on stress, anxiety, and childbirth fear in pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19 Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice February 23, 2022
and 4 more in the library
Cites 14
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- Effects of mindfulness on meta-awareness and specificity of describing prodromal symptoms in suicidal depression. Emotion February 1, 2010
- Dispositional mindfulness and depressive symptomatology: Correlations with limbic and self-referential neural activity during rest. Emotion 2010
and 9 more in the library