Heightened Illness Concern

Self-assessment Quiz

Do you have Heightened Illness Concern? Take the following self-assessment test to find out.

1. Has your health been on your mind a lot?	Yes	No
2. Do your symptoms seem to control your life?	Yes	No
3. Have you been very concerned about getting sick or being sick?	Yes	No
4. Are you afraid you might have a serious illness that has not been diagnosed yet?	Yes	No
5. If a disease is brought to your attention (through the radio, TV, newspapers, or someone you know), do you worry about getting it yourself? Yes No	Yes	No
6. If you feel ill and someone tells you that you are looking better, do you become annoyed?	Yes	No
7. Is it hard for you to believe the doctor when he/she tells you there is nothing for you to worry about?	Yes	No
8. Do you get the feeling that people are not taking your illness concerns seriously enough?	Yes	No
9. Do other people sometimes call you a hypochondriac or say you worry too much about illness?	Yes	No

If you answered “yes” to two or more of the questions above, then you may be suffering from Heightened Illness Concern.

If you would like to learn more about this problem and learn about a treatment research study for people who have heightened illness concern being conducted in Boston and in New York City, please click here.

* Questions were drawn from the Whiteley Index of the Illness Behavior Questionnaire created by Dr. I. Pilowsky.