Illness anxiety disorder is best described as:

• A. Preoccupation with illness with significant physical symptoms
• B. Preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness, with minimal or no somatic symptoms
• C. A mood disorder characterized by worry about health only at night
• D. A phobia of injections and medical procedures

Answer: (B)

Illness anxiety disorder centers on a preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness, with minimal or no somatic symptoms. The worry is about health itself, not about experiencing significant physical symptoms, and it persists despite medical evaluation and reassurance. People may misinterpret normal bodily sensations as signs of serious disease and often engage in excessive health-related behaviors (like frequent doctor visits or checking for illness) or avoid medical care out of fear. The distinction here is crucial: if there are substantial somatic symptoms driving the concern, it would be somatic symptom disorder instead; this condition is about health anxieties with little to no real bodily symptoms. It’s not a mood disorder with worry only at night, nor a phobia of injections or procedures.