Illness cognition and health anxiety in parents of children with cancer

Bilani, Nadeem; Jamali, Sarah; Chahine, Anastasia; Zorkot, Maya; Homsi, Mouafak; Saab, M; Saab, Raya; Nabulsi, Mona; Chaaya, Monique

doi:10.1080/07347332.2019.1600629

Cited by 23 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Siblings also experienced increased rates of ED visits and hospitalizations, suggesting again that siblings experience poorer health compared to matched population controls. An alternative explanation may be that the known increased risk of anxiety in siblings, as well as familiarity with the health care system, may drive increased health‐seeking behaviors for physical health complaints 63 . These alternative mechanisms, however, are unlikely to explain increased rates of high‐acuity ED visits and hospitalizations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morbidity and health care use among siblings of children with cancer: A population‐based study

Desai

Sutradhar

Lau

et al. 2021

Pediatric Blood & Cancer

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Background Childhood cancer impacts the entire family unit. We sought to investigate its impact on the long‐term physical health outcomes of siblings of children with cancer. Procedure Pediatric cancer patients diagnosed in Ontario, Canada between 1988 and 2016 were linked to biological siblings. Sibling cases were matched to population controls based on sex, age, geographic location, and number of other children in the family. After individual linkage to health services data, we compared several outcomes between sibling cases and controls: (a) physical health conditions (such as diabetes, hypertension, and death); (b) acute health care use (hospitalization, low‐ and high‐acuity emergency department [ED] visits); and (c) preventive health care use (periodic health checkups, influenza vaccinations). Cox proportional hazards, recurrent event, or logistic regression models were used as appropriate. Results We identified 8529 sibling cases and 30,364 matched controls (median age at index: 6 years, median age at last follow‐up 17 years). Compared to controls, siblings were at increased risk of hypertension (hazard ratio [HR] 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–2.9; p = .01), had higher rates of low‐ and high‐acuity ED visits (rate ratio 1.1; 95% CI 1.1–1.2; p < .001), and increased risk of hospitalization (HR 1.1; 95% CI 1.1–1.2; p < .001). Sibling cases were also more likely to receive preventive health care (p < .05). Conclusion Increased risk of hypertension, high‐acuity ED visits, and hospitalizations suggest that siblings may experience poorer health compared to controls. Counseling families about this potential increased risk and long‐term follow‐up of siblings to monitor their physical health may be justified.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morbidity and health care use among siblings of children with cancer: A population‐based study

Desai

Sutradhar

Lau

et al. 2021

Pediatric Blood & Cancer

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“…Worries about health are a common human experience thought to fall along a continuum in the general population (Salkovskis and Warwick, 2001). At the upper end of the continuum, individuals experience an obsessive fear of illness (Bilani et al, 2019) which may fall within the realm of health anxiety. Health anxiety as a diagnostic entity is characterised by a preoccupation with either having or developing a serious physical illness, which is maintained by behaviours which are designed to ameliorate distress, but serve to inadvertently increase or maintain physical symptoms and anxiety.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Practitioner review: health anxiety in children and young people in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Haig‐Ferguson

Cooper

Cartwright

et al. 2020

Behav. Cogn. Psychother.

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Background Health-related fear is a normal and common response in the face of the global pandemic of COVID-19. Children and young people are frequently being exposed to messages about the threat to health, including from the media and authorities. Whilst for most, their anxiety will be proportionate to the threat, for some, existing preoccupation with physical symptoms and illness will become more problematic. There is a growing body of evidence that health anxiety may occur in childhood, however much of the literature is taken from research using adult samples. Aims This practitioner review aims to give an overview of the assessment and treatment of health-related worries in children and young people in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This review is based on the limited existing evidence in this population and the more substantial evidence base for treating health anxiety in adults. We consider the adaptations needed to ensure such interventions are developmentally appropriate.

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“…5 Moreover, HA in either parent is positively correlated with HA in children. 6 Therefore, HA has a significant long-term impact on healthcare costs and on patients' self-rated mental and physical health function.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health anxiety in medical employees: A multicentre study

et al. 2019

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Objective The aim of this study was to explore health anxiety (HA) in a sample of hospital medical employees and to identify factors that influence HA. Methods A consecutively recruited sample of 1702 medical employees with or without HA was obtained from 13 hospitals across China. Participants’ demographic and clinical characteristics were collected using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure. Subjects were divided into a HA and non-HA group according to their scores on the Chinese version of the Short Health Anxiety Inventory. Comparisons between groups were conducted and binary logistic regression was used to identify risk factors of HA. Results Total HA prevalence was 30.14%. There were significant differences between the HA and non-HA groups in number of working years, hospital category, sex, marital status, family income, personality, physical disease and education degree. Working in a specialist hospital, being female, being married, low income, introversion, graduate education or above and presence of physical disease were risk factors of HA. Conclusions HA is common in medical employees. More investigation of the long-term impact of HA is warranted.

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Illness cognition and health anxiety in parents of children with cancer

Cited by 23 publications

References 33 publications

Morbidity and health care use among siblings of children with cancer: A population‐based study

Morbidity and health care use among siblings of children with cancer: A population‐based study

Practitioner review: health anxiety in children and young people in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Health anxiety in medical employees: A multicentre study

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