TY - JOUR
T1 - Risk factors for hypochondriacal concerns in a sample of military veterans
AU - Noyes, Russell
AU - Watson, David B.
AU - Carney, Caroline P.
AU - Letuchy, Elena M.
AU - Peloso, Paul M.
AU - Black, Donald W.
AU - Doebbeling, Bradley N.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was partially supported by CDC Cooperative Agreement, U5O/CCU711513, and Department of Defense Grant Number DAMD 17-97-1.
PY - 2004/12
Y1 - 2004/12
N2 - The aim was to examine the influence of combat exposure and other risk factors on the development of hypochondriacal concerns among veterans of the Gulf War and to learn whether these concerns might be a source of increased symptom reporting among them. Six hundred two veterans who were deployed to the Gulf or elsewhere during the 1991 war took part in a two-phase study of symptoms and illnesses occurring among these veterans. Hypochondriacal beliefs and attitudes were assessed by the Whiteley Index and somatic symptoms by a factor-analytically derived measure. Multiple regression models were developed for these outcomes. Hypochondriacal concerns were significantly associated with level of education, personal history of depression, number of prewar physical conditions, family history of functional syndromes, negative and positive temperament and disinhibition, military combat, level of military preparedness, social support, and perceived life stress. Somatic symptoms were associated with these same variables, as well as branch of service, family history of physical conditions, combat, and level of combat exposure. A regression model for hypochondriacal concerns included the number of prewar physical conditions, negative temperament, lack of social support, and perceived life stress. Hypochondriacal concerns were not strongly related to combat exposure. Consequently, it is not likely that such concerns account for increased symptom reporting among the veterans studied. Hypochondriacal concerns appeared to arise in response to threats posed by physical illness. Vulnerability to such threats appeared to center on the personality dimension of negative temperament. This model may serve as a guide to future investigations.
AB - The aim was to examine the influence of combat exposure and other risk factors on the development of hypochondriacal concerns among veterans of the Gulf War and to learn whether these concerns might be a source of increased symptom reporting among them. Six hundred two veterans who were deployed to the Gulf or elsewhere during the 1991 war took part in a two-phase study of symptoms and illnesses occurring among these veterans. Hypochondriacal beliefs and attitudes were assessed by the Whiteley Index and somatic symptoms by a factor-analytically derived measure. Multiple regression models were developed for these outcomes. Hypochondriacal concerns were significantly associated with level of education, personal history of depression, number of prewar physical conditions, family history of functional syndromes, negative and positive temperament and disinhibition, military combat, level of military preparedness, social support, and perceived life stress. Somatic symptoms were associated with these same variables, as well as branch of service, family history of physical conditions, combat, and level of combat exposure. A regression model for hypochondriacal concerns included the number of prewar physical conditions, negative temperament, lack of social support, and perceived life stress. Hypochondriacal concerns were not strongly related to combat exposure. Consequently, it is not likely that such concerns account for increased symptom reporting among the veterans studied. Hypochondriacal concerns appeared to arise in response to threats posed by physical illness. Vulnerability to such threats appeared to center on the personality dimension of negative temperament. This model may serve as a guide to future investigations.
KW - Epidemiology
KW - Gulf war
KW - Hypochondriasis
KW - Risk factors
KW - Somatic symptoms
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2004.05.006
DO - 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2004.05.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 15596159
AN - SCOPUS:10444240336
SN - 0022-3999
VL - 57
SP - 529
EP - 539
JO - Journal of Psychosomatic Research
JF - Journal of Psychosomatic Research
IS - 6
ER -