Excessive health anxiety can lead to a shorter life. According to a Swedish study, hypochondriacs run a greater risk than others of getting sick and dying prematurely. They also use more alcohol and drugs than others.
– Healthcare is bad at detecting these people, says psychologist David Mataix-Cols.
It is about people with a very strong concern about getting or being sick and who cannot let go of the feeling that they have one or more serious illnesses. Often, thoughts about the body and worries about various diseases occupy large parts of the waking hours.
– Life can be hell for them. Many sit for hours and search the internet for various symptoms and look for evidence that they are ill on their bodies. It affects life very negatively, says David Mataix-Cols, who is a psychologist and professor of clinical neuroscience at the Karolinska Institutet.
A paradox
Spontaneously, one might think that those who have close contact with health care to check up on various diseases would be healthier than others. But when David Mataix-Cols and his research colleagues went through large amounts of data, they discovered the paradox. People diagnosed with excessive health anxiety, or hypochondria, tend to die earlier than people without the diagnosis.
The study, published in Jama Psychiatry, included data from medical records of 4,100 people diagnosed with hypochondria. These were compared with data from 41,000 people without the diagnosis with the corresponding age, gender and place of residence.
More alcohol and drugs
The results show that people with hypochondria had a 70 percent higher risk of dying prematurely. The risk of suicide was four times higher among people with hypochondria. The risk of dying prematurely from natural causes such as cardiovascular disease and lung disease was also higher in those with hypochondria.
People with hypochondria also use more alcohol and drugs than others.
– Maybe it is used as self-medication. It is very stressful to live with this worry, says David Mataix-Cols.
Probable dark numbers
According to international figures, between three and five percent have hypochondria.
– I would think that it is severely underdiagnosed, partly because healthcare is bad at detecting it. The patient consults various doctors for somatic complaints and it is difficult to understand that it would be psychological. Doctors might be worried about upsetting someone by saying there might be a psychological explanation.
Since there is effective treatment in the form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), he wishes that more people received the correct diagnosis. He also points out that even if the risk of suicide is higher in the group, it is a matter of few individuals.
– But every case is obviously tragic and should be avoided.
Fact: You can turn here if you feel unwell
In emergency situations or thoughts of suicide, always call 112.
Fellow on call, can be reached at night on 08-702 16 80.
Chaplain on duty, available at night. Call 112 and ask to speak to the priest on duty.
The poison information centre, 010-45 66 700, around the clock.
The suicide line, available via chat and phone 90 101 24 hours a day, every day.
The parent line, 020-85 20 00. Open weekdays, excluding weekends, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday evenings from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Elderly line, open weekdays 8–19 and weekends 10–16 on 020-22 22 33.
Bris: Call, email or chat. Telephone: 116 111.
There are also patient associations and organizations that can provide more long-term support and belonging for people with mental illness, a list is available on 1177.
Source: mind.se and 1177