hypochondriasis

n. in DSM–IV–TR, a somatoform disorder characterized by a preoccupation with the fear or belief that one has a serious physical disease based on the incorrect and unrealistic interpretation of bodily symptoms. This fear or belief persists for at least 6 months and interferes with social and occupational functioning in spite of medical reassurance that no physical disorder exists. DSM–5 eliminates this diagnosis, partly because of its perceived negative connotations (e.g., it has been perceived by patients as dismissing the validity of their concerns), and replaces it with two separate diagnoses that are each characterized by high health anxiety and health-related preoccupations but that occur either in the presence of significant somatic symptoms (see somatic symptom disorder) or in the absence or with minimal evidence of such symptoms (see illness anxiety disorder).

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Psychology term of the day

November 18th 2024

paradigm clash

in science or philosophy, the conflict that occurs when a new set of fundamental assumptions about reality or human knowledge proves incompatible with an established set of such assumptions. For example, the doctrine of organic evolution challenged established thinking about the origin and nature of the living world and ultimately replaced previous theories.