SELF-TEST FOR HYPOCHONDRIA

Whiteley Index is a widely used test to find hypochondria. As with all tests the result must be interpreted cautiously. A high score is an indication that you could profit from talking this over with your doctor.

Below is a list of questions about your health. For each one, please circle the number indicating how much this is true for you.

1 = Not at all

2 = A little bit

3 = Moderately

4 = Quite a bit

5 = A great deal

1: Do you worry a lot about your health?

1 2 3 4 5

2: Do you think there is something seriously wrong with your body?

1 2 3 4 5

3: Is it hard for you to forget about yourself and think about all sorts of other things?

1 2 3 4 5

4: If you feel ill and someone tells you that you are looking better, do you become annoyed?

1 2 3 4 5

5: Do you find that you are often aware of various things happening in your body?

1 2 3 4 5

6: Are you bothered by many aches and pains?

1 2 3 4 5

7: Are you afraid of illness?

1 2 3 4 5

8: Do you worry about your health more than most people?

1 2 3 4 5

9: Do you get the feeling that people are not taking your illnesses seriously enough?

1 2 3 4 5

10: Is it hard for you to believe the doctor when he/she tells you there is nothing for you to worry about?

1 2 3 4 5

11: Do you often worry about the possibility that you have a serious illness?

1 2 3 4 5

12: If a disease is brought to your attention (through the radio, TV, newspapers, or someone you know), do you worry about getting it yourself?

1 2 3 4 5

13: Do you find that you are bothered by may different symptoms?

1 2 3 4 5

14: Do you often have the symptoms of a very serious disease?

1 2 3 4 5

The Whitely Index score is found by summing the responses to each question. The higher the score the more hypochondriacal you are likely to be. There is no set cutoff score, but healthy people without health anxiety generally have a score of 21 +/- 7 (14 to 28). Patients with hypochondria are found to have a score of 44 +/- 11 (32 to 55). These numbers are merely indications to help you find out if you have hypochondria. If your score is high we suggest you talk to your doctor about it - may be he can advice you where to find help.

Notice that if you are depressed you also might get a high score, and your hypochondriacal ideas might be secondary to your depression. The same is true if you have a specific or general anxiety disorder. In both instances you can talk to your doctor about this.