This cause of death is four times more common in hypochondriacs

Worrying about your health has its limits! December 13, 2023, Medical Journal JAMA Psychiatry Publishes studies under the direction of a professor David Mattix-Colles from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute. This is the purpose of the case study 4,129 people Between 1997 and 2020, those over the age of 24 were classified as suffering from hypochondria. As a reminder, this refers to pathology An anxiety disorder associated with the fear of catching a serious illness. These people cannot get rid of this anxiety even after undergoing medical tests. They sometimes tend to Change doctor

or to avoid consultation. Thus, 4,129 hypochondriac patients were compared with 41,290 normal people of similar age, sex, and nationality.

To conduct this study, they used a measure “person-years” which takes into account the number of people and the period they are followed. In these two cases mortality was analyzed and the verdict is final. During the study, 268 people suffering from hypochondria And 1,761 people without hypochondriasis died. Results showed increased all-cause mortality among individuals with hypochondriasis compared with those without. Such was the death rate 8.5 in hypochondriacs compared to 5.5 in others, per 1,000 person-years. There are hypochondriac people died younger than others, or at an average age 70 years Against 75 years. They were more likely to die of natural causes (Circulatory and respiratory diseases for example). As unnatural causes. Later, most deaths were attributable Suicide, the risk is four times higher

. This cause of mortality in patients with hypochondriasis is avoidable, which is why treatment is essential.

“Hypochondria is often considered secondary”

“Improving discovery and access to evidence-based care must be a priority” The authors estimate in their conclusion. Before emphasizing that hypochondria is significant “Underdiagnosed in Sweden” Only 4,000 cases have been reported to specialized services in 20 years. “This low number can be particularly explained by the fact that the symptoms of hypochondria are often wrongly considered secondary compared to other mental disorders (for example, depression or anxiety). Individuals are not taken seriously By health professionals and by that fact The diagnosis is stigmatized.” Like most anxiety disorders, hypochondria can be treated with psychotherapy. Dr. Christophe Bagot specifically recommends starting cognitive and behavioral therapy aimed at finding the sources of hypochondria and working on them through daily exercises. Other recommended treatments: EMDR

, eye movement psychotherapy that targets individuals’ traumatic memories. The Antidepressants and tranquilizers Should be avoided in hypochondriacs, as they may increase their anxiety.