Hypochondria : a bill of 60 million euros for the English

baranq/Epictura

Published the 08.09.2017 to 17h35

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Keywords :

psychothérapiesystème of santéhypocondriaque

Have you ever had the impression, at the bend of an internet search, you have a serious disease and incurable, eventually completely fictional ? If this is the case, you’re not alone(e). One person in five will suffer from disorders hypochondriacs. And this condition would be exacerbated by the search for symptoms online, which leads to what doctors call ” cyberchondrie “.

This anxiety often leads to consultations, and even up to surgical interventions, that are unnecessary. They would represent an additional cost of over € 60 million for british health system, according to an estimate by Peter Tyrer, professor of psychiatry at the Imperial College of London. A figure that was estimated based on the results of a Danish study dating back to 2010.

But he is convinced that it is possible to reduce these costs through the cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT).

Doctor Google is concerned

“Patients who suffer from disorders hypochondriacal important care about how excessive their health problems, but most of them fail to identify their underlying cause,” explains the psychiatrist. The disease is often triggered by the combination of an event and of a particular vulnerability, reinforced by the media coverage of a disease. “

The Internet also plays an important role. “Dr Google is a real mine of information, but it does not put things in their proportions,” he adds. When they consult their general practitioner, patients arrive with a list of four pages of possible diseases that they have found on the internet. “

In front, the doctors, unaware of the problem or simply irritated, do not always make the effort to assess the psychological causes of this anxiety. Only one person in ten who suffers from it would be taken care of.