International Journal of Psychiatry Research
Open AccessHe Is Living In Fear, but Indifferent To COVID-19: A Case Report
Authors: Yee Chin Chai, Lee Chin Tee, Nithya Nagalingam, Kit Mun Lau.
Abstract
Illness anxiety disorder (IAD) or previously known as hypochondriasis in DSM-IV is a psychiatric disorder characterized by excessive preoccupation with acquiring a serious illness. In the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, it could have exaggerated one’s pre-existing anxiety symptoms. We intend to report a person with IAD, but indifferent to COVID-19. This is a middle- ged man with multiple medical conditions who often attribute his physical symptoms to malignancy or life-threatening illnesses, resulting in frequent visits to multiple hospitals and consulting many physicians for his physical symptoms. Despite correlations of clinical findings and investigations that revealed no abnormalities as explained by his attending doctors, he was still not assured or convinced, and was often preoccupied with his physical symptoms. This paper aims to highlight the patient’s indifferent attitude towards the ongoing pandemic given that his preoccupation towards his physical complaints can be debilitating.
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