Health anxiety: Another epidemic to prepare for

• Published in: La revue de medecine interne Vol. 45; no. 10; p. 641
• Main Authors: Cathébras, P, Kohout, É, Savall, A, Goutte, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; French
• Published: France 01-10-2024
• Subjects: Anxiety - diagnosis; Anxiety - epidemiology; Anxiety - etiology; Anxiety - therapy; Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis; Anxiety Disorders - epidemiology; Anxiety Disorders - etiology; Anxiety Disorders - therapy; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - methods; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - psychology; France - epidemiology; Humans; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2; France; Réassurance; Cyberchondrie; Thérapies comportementales et cognitives; Hypochondriasis; Cyberchondria; Somatic symptom disorder; Anxiété centrée sur la santé; Cognitive and behavioral therapies; Health anxiety; Reassurance; Hypochondrie; Trouble à symptomatologie somatique
• ISSN: 1768-3122; 1768-3122
• DOI: 10.1016/j.revmed.2024.03.002

Health anxiety (HA) is a frequent problem (up to 20% of consultants in the context of secondary care) responsible for decreased well-being, disability, somatic and psychiatric complications, which contributes to high healthcare expenditures at the population level. It is likely, if not definitely established, that the prevalence of ACS is increasing, and this can partly be explained by the growing medicalization of society in general, the appetite of Media for health issues, and the uncontrolled use of the Internet (which can lead certain vulnerable subjects to cyberchondria). The pandemic of COVID-19 could have contributed to it, at least by the significant increase in the overall level of psychological distress in the population it has caused, although this has not formally been demonstrated to date. The diagnosis of ACS is easy, as soon as its assessment is considered as a mandatory part of any medical consultation. Certain intuitive attitudes of doctors, such as reassurance, prove to be iatrogenic for the patient with HA. The management of HA can be facilitated by an acculturation of physicians to cognitive conceptions of anxiety in general and HA in particular. HA is effectively treatable by certain psychotherapy and in the first place cognitive and behavioral therapies (CBT), but the availability of trained therapists and accessible at a lower cost is sorely lacking, particularly in France.