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Parental illness, attachment dimensions, and health beliefs: testing the cognitive-behavioural and interpersonal models of health anxiety

The cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal models of health anxiety propose that parental illness could be a contributory factor to the development of health anxiety but through different mechanisms. The cognitive-behavioral model suggests that exposure to parental illness may lead to health beliefs that could increase health anxiety. In contrast, the interpersonal model proposes that parental illness may contribute to the development of an insecure attachment pattern and consequently health anxiety. To assess the additive value of the models, 116 emerging adults (i.e. aged 18–25) who had a parent diagnosed with a serious medical illness (e.g. cancer, multiple sclerosis) completed measures of health anxiety, adult attachment dimensions, and health beliefs. Attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, health beliefs, and death of the ill parent were statistically significant predictors of health anxiety. The results provide support for both models of health anxiety. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are discussed.