No abstract available.
Anxiety* ; Hypochondriasis*

No abstract available.
Ego* ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis*

This study examined the characteristics of people who have preference for complementary medicine and also the psychosocial factors that are related to the selection of complementary medicine. Two-hunred subjects recruited from the community were included in this study. Demographic variables, medical service characteristics, health locus of control, social support, coping style, and personality charateritics such as self-esteem, neuroticism, and hypochondriasis were measured. It turned out that nearly 80% of the subjects had already experienced at least one alternative therapy in the past. However, past expeiece was not significant in predicting future complementary medicine usage. People who were older in age, had more information about complementary medicine, used active-behavioural coping styles, and had internal locus of control were more likely to use complementary medicine in the future. Recommenations for furthur research is indicated.
Complementary Therapies* ; Hypochondriasis ; Internal-External Control ; Psychology

The measurement of gastric emptying time is useful in differentiation of the hypochondriacal neurosis from the functional gastrointestinal disturbance, and also useful in searching the hidden gastro-intestinal disease in patients who are believed as the functional gastrointestinal disturbance. We confirmed in this study that the more delayed gastric emptying time was measured in functional gastrointestinal disturbance compared to normal group, and more shortened gastric emptying time was found after treatment with dopamine antagonist (cleboril) in this group.
Dopamine ; Gastric Emptying* ; Gastrointestinal Diseases* ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis

OBJECTIVE: Health anxiety can be defined by concern about health in the absence of a pathology. The Health Anxiety Questionnaire (HAQ) based on the cognitive-behavioral model can be useful for evaluating the severity and the structure of health anxiety. This study aims to verify the reliability and validity of Korean version of HAQ (K-HAQ). METHODS: For reliability, test-retest reliability and internal consistency were analyzed. For construct validity, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to identify the optimal cut-off score. RESULTS: Cronbach’s alpha was 0.92, and r value of test-retest reliability was 0.84. In the EFA, 4- and 5-factor model showed cumulative percentile of variance of 60% or more. In the CFA, the 4-factor model was found to be the most appropriate and simplest (χ²=397.33, df=187, CFI=0.909, TLI=0.888, RMSEA=0.077). In the ROC analysis, the cut-off score was 20 points. CONCLUSION: It is expected that K-HAQ can be helpful to evaluate the severity of health anxiety and make therapeutic plans because K-HAQ can help explore the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral structure of health anxiety by each factor.
Anxiety* ; Hypochondriasis ; Pathology ; Reproducibility of Results* ; ROC Curve

Trichoptilosis is a longitudinal splitting or fraying of the distal end of the hair caused by cumulative physical and/or chemical effects on the hair shaft. We present three cases of trichoptilosis patients complaining of alopecia, two cases with the scalp hairs and one case with the pubic hairs. One of the two scalp hair cases showed the hair shaft disorder as a part of a Tourette's syndrome and the other case was caused by scalp pruritus. The patient with pubic hair involvement showed hypochondriasis on his genital area. The cases were thought to be a good example showing the stereotypic change of the hair shaft in various different underlying diseases of the affected patients.
Alopecia ; Hair ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Pruritus ; Scalp ; Tourette Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to see an incidence of depression, and to see the characteristics of demographic variables, maternal psychologic state and family environments in adolescent children with type I DM who was in depressive mood. METHODS: Among children with type I DM who participated in a diabetes summer camp which was held in Daegu between August 6th and 10th, 2004, authors sent questainnaires which included CDI/ BDI for children, MMPI and SCL-90 for patients' mothers, and FES which mothers were asked to respond to the 40 patients' house after gaining parents and patients' permission by telephoning. Twenty-three out of 40 patients completed these questainnaires. Study patients consisted of 10 boys and 13 girls. Their mean age was 13.3 years. RESULTS: There were significant differences in maternal MMPI and SCL-90 between depressive and non-depressive group. Among the maternal MMPI, the t-scores of hypochondriasis and hysteria in depressive group were higher than those of non- depressive group. And among the dimension of SCL-90, t-score of depression, anxiety, phobic anxiety and psychoticism in depressive group were higher than those of non-depressive group (P<0.05). These findings were concordant with prior findings that the mothers of diabeteic childen were more depressed and anxious than the mothers of control children. CONCLUSION: Though there are several limitation to this study, this study found high incidence rate in children with type I diabetes, and replicate prior findings supporting the effect of type I diabetes on the maternal psychologic state and family functioning. Larger size group is necessary to confirm our findings.
Adolescent ; Anxiety ; Child* ; Daegu ; Depression ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Hysteria ; Incidence ; MMPI ; Mothers ; Parents

To investigate the relationship between psychological behavior and the development of central serous chorioretinopathy, we performed a study on stress and personality characteristics on 39 central serous chorioretinopathy patients and 38 healthy subjects as a control group. We used Life Change Inventory(MMPI) for personality characteristics. As a result, the mean stress scale in the patients group was significantly higher than in the normal control group(p<0.05) and the mean T-xcore of three neurotic scales such as hypochondriasis, depression and hysteria in the patients group were significantly higher than in the normal control group(p=0.029, 0.004, 0.012).
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy* ; Climacteric ; Depression ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Hysteria ; MMPI ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: The penile augmentation operation is becoming popular in Korea, but there is not enough data about psychologic aspects of Korean male's thoughts about their penile size. We investigated the flaccid and stretched penile sizes of young Korean males and their penile size complex or pride. We performed Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) test. This study may be used for better patient consultation in penile augumentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After explanation and agreement to the purpose and methods of this study, 123 Korean male in early 20's who visit our institution were studied. We measured their pre-pubic bone fat pad depth, flaccid penile length, flaccid mid-shaft circumferences and stretched length under warm and comfortable private environment. Because the stretched penile length closely correlated with the erect length, we did not measure the erect length. Then they were asked to answer questions of MMPI and other questions including, 'how do you think about your penile size?'. We used the student t-test to analyze our data statistically. RESULTS: In 123 subjects, mean flaccid length, flaccid circumference, stretched length and fat pad depth were 6.9 0.8cm, 8.5+/-1.1cm, 9.6+/-0.8cm and 1.1+/-0.4cm respectively (Table 1). In 123 subjects, the distribution of the answer about penile size was 1 (0.8%) 'very small', 29 (23.6%) 'small', 86 (69.9%) 'normal', 6 (4.9%) 'large', and 1 (0.8%) 'very large'. Compared to the subjects who thought their penis was normal, the subjects who thought their penile size was small, showed high hypochondriasis and psychasthenia scale and the subjects who thought their penile size was large, showed high hysteria scale in MMPI test. Subjects who underestimated their penile size, showed high depression, psychasthenia scale in MMPI test CONCLUSIONS: In consultation of the patient who want penile augmentation, urologist should consider psychologic tendency of the patients about their penile size.
Adipose Tissue ; Depression ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Hysteria ; Korea* ; Male ; MMPI ; Penis ; Psychology ; Self Concept*

BACKGROUND: Trigeminal neuralgia and atypical facial pain are representative disease entities of chronic facial pain. Most patients of these disaeses could be accompanied with psychological, emotional problems as their pain become chronic. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether different types of chronic facial pain lead to alteration in personality disorder or they are associated with particular characteristics of personality disorders using Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory (MMPI). METHODS: 40 patients of trigeminal neuralgia and 21 patients of atypical facial pain who had responded MMPI were enrolled in this study. Two groups were compared for age, sex, pain intensity (Visual analogue scale, VAS), duration of pain, MMPI scores and psychological impression from MMPI results. RESULTS: Pain intensity and chronicity were more severe and longer in trigeminal neuralgia group than atypical facial pain. However, some MMPI profiles such as hypochondriasis and hysteria were significantly elevated in atypical facial pain. Pain intensity and duration did not correlate with MMPI profiles in each group. Meaningful psychological impression from MMPI results which were interpreted by one psychologist were shown in 13 patients of trigeminal neuralgia (32.5%) and 14 patients of atypical facial pain (66.7%). Especially, psychosomatic disorder was most frequently found in atypical facial pain patients (47.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Atypical facial pain have more psychologic and emotional problems than trigeminal neuralgia, regardless of pain intensity and chronicity. Therefore, psychologic evaluation and treatment should be considered in atypical facial pain.
Chronic Pain ; Facial Pain* ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Hysteria ; Minnesota* ; MMPI* ; Personality Disorders ; Psychology ; Psychophysiologic Disorders ; Trigeminal Neuralgia*