A new study published this month suggests that worrying too much about getting sick may actually lead to premature death. The study found that people diagnosed with hypochondriasis were significantly more likely to die during the study period than those without. Increased risks were seen for both natural and unnatural causes of death, but especially for suicide.
hypochondriasisFormerly known as hypochondria, it is now also known as illness anxiety disorder. It is defined as a persistent and unrealistic fear of serious illness. People with hypochondriacs continue to worry that they are or will become ill, even after they have undergone tests and medical examinations and appear to be clear, and this obsession can interfere with their daily life and other activities. relationships with others may be seriously damaged.conditions are similar somatic symptom disorderHowever, the latter person experiences extreme anxiety around specific physical symptoms, such as pain.
Hypochondriasis is thought to be rare, probably affecting less than 1% of the general population, but may be highly underdiagnosed. And the authors of the new study published This month's JAMA Psychiatry says little is known about the mortality risk associated with the condition.
To better understand this risk, the authors looked at national medical record data from Sweden, which has long maintained separate classification codes for cases diagnosed with hypochondriasis. From 1997 to 2020, the research team identified more than 4,000 cases of the disease. The health status of these patients was then compared to about 40,000 control patients matched on age and other demographics.
During the study period, people with hypochondria were significantly more likely to die from any cause than people without hypochondria (mortality rate of 8.5 vs. 5.5 deaths per 1,000 person-years). Increased risk is seen in hypochondriasis even after controlling for other variables, and may be seen in many causes of death, especially suicide. Hypochondriacs were more than four times more likely to die by suicide, and the majority of unnatural deaths in this group were related to suicide.
The findings not only shed light on the mortality risk of hypochondriacs, but also suggest that hypochondriacs are better at avoiding death than others because they see their doctors more frequently. This may dispel that perception.
“On the surface, one might think that hypochondriacs have a lower risk of death because they consult their doctors more often,” said study author David Mataikus-Kols, a researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. said. today's med page. “However, clinicians working with this group of patients know that many are experiencing significant distress and hopelessness, which could explain the increased risk of suicide described in the paper. There is a possibility.”
The authors note that most of the deaths identified in this study are considered preventable. Treatments for hypochondria may also be available, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants. However, the authors say that doctors who encounter suspected cases of hypochondria should be careful not to prejudice people who suffer from hypochondriasis and related disorders.
“Dismissing the physical symptoms of these people as imaginary can have dire consequences,” the researchers wrote. “More needs to be done to reduce stigma and improve detection, diagnosis and appropriate holistic (i.e. psychiatric and physical) care for these populations.”
