September 7, 2017

health anxiety – the burden and the treatment

Up to 20% of people attending medical clinics are actually suffering from health anxiety, where people are excessively worried about their health, and the numbers seem to be rising. There are concerns that these patients are being passed from clinician to clinician without the real issue being addressed. Health anxiety is potentially treatable but there are few studies testing these treatments.

In a new study, to be published in The NIHR Journals Library, researchers have tested the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a form of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and followed-up patients 5 years later.

A roundup accompanied this briefing.

Speakers:

Dr Barbara Barrett, Senior Lecturer in Health Economics, King’s College London

Dr John Green, Chief Psychologist at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL)

Dr Helen Tyrer, Senior Clinical Research Fellow, Imperial College London

Prof. Peter Tyrer, Emeritus Professor in Community Psychiatry, Imperial College London