Psychologist: Risk that health anxiety is missed by primary care

Primary healthcare providers may be overlooking patients suffering from health anxiety, a condition characterized by persistent and excessive worry about having or developing a serious illness. Erland Axelsson, a psychologist and associate professor at the Karolinska Institutet, warns that these patients often seek care for other ailments, making their underlying anxiety difficult to detect.

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Today, there is a great risk that primary care misses detecting patients with health anxiety when they seek care for other ailments.

Health anxiety can manifest as constant self-monitoring of bodily sensations, frequent online searches for symptoms, and a persistent need for reassurance from medical professionals or loved ones. While some speculate that social media and readily available online health information have increased its prevalence, Axelsson notes a lack of long-term data to confirm this. He also points out that societal acceptance of discussing anxiety has increased.

Axelsson estimates that between 1% and 5% of the general population experiences health anxiety. However, he suggests that among individuals seeking medical attention, this figure could be significantly higher, potentially ranging from 10% to 20%, although not all of these individuals may actively seek help for the anxiety itself.

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It has become popular to speculate that health anxiety has become more common in the wake of social media and the proximity to medical information online. But reliable data series going far back in time are lacking.

He explains that doctors in primary care often focus on the immediate symptoms patients present, and the short appointment times can make it challenging to identify health anxiety as a primary concern. Axelsson's research also explores how anxiety about illness changes after receiving reassuring medical news, and he investigates behavioral factors and long-term well-being in individuals with chronic physical symptoms like pain and fatigue. His work also includes support for cancer survivors, who often experience similar anxieties and physical challenges.

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Between a thumb and a finger, perhaps one to five percent of the population at large suffers from health anxiety.

Treatment for health anxiety typically involves cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is also effective for other forms of anxiety and worry. Axelsson aims to develop integrated treatments that can address multiple issues simultaneously for patients with complex health concerns.

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It is common for doctors in primary care to miss picking up people with health anxiety.