Purpose

This study is attempt to determine which treatments are most effective for people with disease-related anxiety and bothersome physical symptoms that have not gone away with medical treatment. This problem is referred to here as Heightened Illness Concern (HIC) or hypochondria. We are comparing the effectiveness of four different treatment strategies. You will have an equal chance of being assigned to one of these four treatments during the study. These include cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT) alone, CBT with the medication fluoxetine (Prozac), supportive therapy with fluoxetine, and supportive therapy with an inactive pill (placebo). Previous research has already found some of these treatment strategies to be helpful for some patients with excessive illness worries. However, no research study has yet been done to find out which of these treatments is most effective when compared with one another or when used in combination. These are the questions we hope to answer with this study.

Type of Study: Clinical Trial
Setting of Study: outpatient
Clinical Trials.gov number: NCT00339079
Providing Clinical Treatment?: Yes
No Cost Treatment?: Yes

Study Activities

Filling Out Forms
Blood Samples
Provides Payment: Reimbursement for transportation
Provides Payment: Compensation for study related procedures

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study: 20 Years - 75 Years
Genders Eligible for Study: Both
This study is not recruiting Healthy Volunteers.

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:
* Age 20-75, male or female
* People who suffer from heightened illness concern or hypochondriasis
* Can speak and write English

Links
Study website
NIH clinical trial listing

Location: Anxiety Disorders Clinic, Rm 3200, 1051 Riverside Drive New York, NY 10032
Clinic: Anxiety Disorder Clinic
Division: Therapeutics

Study chairs or principal investigators:
Brian A. Fallon MD, MPH, Principal Investigator

Co-investigators:
Michael McKee, PhD,
Kelli Harding, MD,
Ella Doctoroff, OD,
Arthur Barsky MD,