Nelisiwe Msomi
Health anxiety is when we worry excessively about our health
When children and adolescents have health anxiety, it may grow into a serious problem in adulthood
Early intervention is needed to prevent it from becoming a permanent problem
When children and teenagers have health anxiety, it can grow to be a permanent condition if it s not corrected, a study has found.
According to research published in the
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, health anxiety at a young age can have serious personal and socio-economic consequences in adulthood.
Defining health anxiety
The study authors define severe health anxiety as excessive and impairing worry and preoccupation with health issues that can cause increased and unnecessary medical examinations .
Health anxiety in childhood and adolescence can become a permanent problem
Symptoms of health anxiety are common already during childhood and adolescence - and if the children do not receive the correct help, the anxiety can become a permanent problem with serious personal and socio-economic consequences. This is shown by a new research result from Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen.
Ida is 11 years old. Six months ago, her grandmother died of cancer after a long illness and since then Ida has become more and more anxious that she too will get cancer and die. The anxiety can be triggered when she passes by a hospital or sees people who look ill. She needs reassurance from her parents many times a day and she has also begun to involve the adults at school. Her parents have taken Ida to the doctor several times, hoping that this will help, but Ida s worries and anxiety begin again shortly after the doctor s appointment.
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Symptoms of health anxiety are common already during childhood and adolescence - and if the children do not receive the correct help, the anxiety can become a permanent problem with serious personal and socio-economic consequences. This is shown by a new research result from Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen.
Ida is 11 years old. Six months ago, her grandmother died of cancer after a long illness and since then Ida has become more and more anxious that she too will get cancer and die. The anxiety can be triggered when she passes by a hospital or sees people who look ill. She needs reassurance from her parents many times a day and she has also begun to involve the adults at school. Her parents have taken Ida to the doctor several times, hoping that this will help, but Ida s worries and anxiety begin again shortly after the doctor s appointment.