Aim of the study:
To find out the prevalence of illness anxiety disorder (hypochondriasis) in medical outpatients and the risk factors and psychiatric co morbidities associated with it.

Subject or material and methods:
400 consecutive medical outpatients were asked for socio demographic characteristics and risk factors associated with illness anxiety and were given Short Health anxiety inventory (SHAI). Psychiatric co-morbidities were assessed using Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I). People who scored 18 or above in SHAI, the diagnosis of Illness anxiety disorder was confirmed by using DSM 5 criteria for illness anxiety disorder (IAD). The data was analyzed by using SPSS version 17, Chi square and t test.

Results:
The prevalence of IAD was 7%. Around 18% patients with IAD had positive family history for hypochondriasis. 32.1% of the patients had a history of abuse in the childhood. 71.4% of the patients had psychiatric co morbidities. 25% patients with IAD had co morbid depression and 28.6% had anxiety spectrum disorder.

Discussion:
The range of prevalence of hypochondriasis is 0.4 to 14% in various studies and it is more common in third and fourth decade. Significant risk factors include divorce, family histrory and history of abuse. 65-88% of patients with hypochondriasis have psychiatric comorbidities like depression and anxiety disorders. Managing psychiatric comorbidities and early treatment of both will lead to better prognosis.

Conclusions:
The anxiety of having a serious medical illness is reasonably high in patients attending medical O.P.D. About three fourth of these patients had co morbid psychiatric condition, mostly depression and anxiety disorders.