Abstract

The present study deals with illness representations of Hwabyung as part of a series of attempts to understand Hwabyung. In the present study, Hwabyung patients were compared with hypertensives. In order to match groups in terms of sex, age, and education, 55 patient were selected out of 100 hypertensives and 65 Hwabyung patients. When analyzed the data based on responses from the Symptom Interpretation Questionnaire (Robbins & Kirmayer, 1991) and additional items on anger, it was found that: (1) although there was no significant differences in the area of cause of illness representation, there were significant differences in terms of treatment of illness representation. (2) When comparing symptom interpretations, Hwabyung patients revealed more frequently in the area of chronic headaches, hyperhidrosis, palpitations, handtremors, insomnia, abdominal pain, dyspnea, numbness, and constipation/irregular bowel habit (3) Hwabyung patients also have a tendency to attribute their symptoms to psychological cause, instead of physical or environmental ones. Finally, the present findings were discussed with regard to Hwabyung and/or illness representation and implications for future studies are suggested.