Epidemiological and Economic Aspects of Hypochondriasis and Health Anxiety

Looper, Karl; P, Dickinson

doi:10.1093/med/9780199996865.003.0006

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…use are: somatisation disorder, somatoform disorder, hypochondriasis, In extreme cases, patients will convince themselves that they have a serious medical condition such as a heart attack, cancer or serious infection such as a sexually transmitted disease. Epidemiological studies suggest that health anxiety occurs in 5-6% of the population, but the rates vary from 2-10% 15 . The strive for healthy living and ease of internet access has probably contributed to the increase in healthcare utilisation 16 .…”

Section: The Physicianmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Hitchhikers Guide to Anxiety Disorders

Bamrah,

Dow,

Ramkisson

et al. 2023

phy

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AD is the commonest mental disorder with a lifetime prevalence rate of 21.1% in Europe, 31.0% in the United States2,3, a point prevalence of 5%, and a greater preponderance amongst women4. Living with ADs can be a long-term challenge. In many cases, it occurs along with other mood disorders5,6. In most cases, AD improves with psychological therapies and medication. Making lifestyle changes, learning coping skills and using relaxation techniques also can help. However, failure to treat AD and its consequences can be economically and socially costly. Therefore, early recognition of the disorder is imperative as that improves the scope for treatment and the prognosis. This guide describes critical aspects of the various subtypes of AD and how to manage them.

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Section: The Physicianmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Hitchhikers Guide to Anxiety Disorders

Bamrah,

Dow,

Ramkisson

et al. 2023

phy

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“…Although HA is thought to be a continuous construct [ 11 ], most studies have studied HA as a categorical construct, dichotomizing HA into severe HA or no/little HA. The prevalence of severe HA in the general population varies from 2 to 10% [ 12 ] but has been reported to be as high as 78% in patient populations [ 13 ], and one review reported that the prevalence of severe HA is increasing in student populations [ 14 ]. There are several negative consequences of HA.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sunderland et al [ 23 ] reported information on both consultation with GPs and mental health professionals; however, the reason for attendance was reported as “due to a mental problem”. This might lead to an underestimation of the association, as people with HA often perceive their symptoms to be somatic rather than psychological in character [ 12 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health anxiety is an important driver of healthcare use

Norbye

Abelsen

Førde

et al. 2022

BMC Health Serv Res

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Background Healthcare use is increasing, and health anxiety (HA) is recognized as an important associated factor. Previous research on the association between HA and healthcare use has mostly explored HA as a dichotomous construct, which contrasts the understanding of HA as a continuous construct, and compared healthcare use to non-use. There is a need for studies that examine the association between healthcare use and the continuum of HA in a general population. Aim To explore the association between HA and primary, somatic specialist and mental specialist healthcare use and any differences in the association by level of healthcare use. Methods This study used cross-sectional data from the seventh Tromsø study. Eighteen thousand nine hundred sixty-seven participants aged 40 years or older self-reported their primary, somatic specialist and mental specialist healthcare use over the past 12 months. Each health service was categorized into 5 groups according to the level of use. The Whiteley Index-6 (WI-6) was used to measure HA on a 5-point Likert scale, with a total score range of 0–24. Analyses were conducted using unconstrained continuation-ratio logistic regression, in which each level of healthcare use was compared with all lower levels. Morbidity, demographics and social variables were included as confounders. Results HA was positively associated with increased utilization of primary, somatic specialist and mental specialist healthcare. Adjusting for confounders, including physical and mental morbidity, did not alter the significant association. For primary and somatic specialist healthcare, each one-point increase in WI-6 score yielded a progressively increased odds ratio (OR) of a higher level of use compared to all lower levels. The ORs ranged from 1.06 to 1.15 and 1.05 to 1.14 for primary and somatic specialist healthcare, respectively. For mental specialist healthcare use, the OR was more constant across levels of use, ranging between 1.06 and 1.08. Conclusions In an adult general population, HA, as a continuous construct, was significantly and positively associated with primary, somatic specialist and mental healthcare use. A small increase in HA was associated with progressively increased healthcare use across the three health services, indicating that the impact of HA is more prominent with higher healthcare use.

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