All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among Individuals With Hypochondriasis

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Hypochondriasis, or health anxiety disorder, is a common psychiatric condition often underdiagnosed.
• Individuals with hypochondriasis experience persistent worry about having serious illnesses.
• The mortality risk associated with hypochondriasis has not been well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates in a large cohort of individuals diagnosed with hypochondriasis.
• To compare mortality risks between individuals with and without hypochondriasis.

Main Methods:

• A Swedish nationwide matched-cohort study included 4,129 individuals with a validated ICD-10 diagnosis of hypochondriasis and 41,290 controls.
• Data on mortality were obtained from the Swedish Cause of Death Register.
• Stratified Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze mortality risks, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and psychiatric comorbidities.

Main Results:

• Individuals with hypochondriasis had a crude mortality rate of 8.5 per 1000 person-years, versus 5.5 in controls.
• Adjusted analyses revealed an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR, 1.69) in the hypochondriasis group.
• This included higher risks for both natural (HR, 1.60) and unnatural causes (HR, 2.43), with suicide being a significant contributor (HR, 4.14).

Conclusions:

• Individuals with hypochondriasis exhibit an elevated risk of mortality from both natural and unnatural causes, notably suicide.
• These findings underscore the need for improved detection and access to evidence-based care for health anxiety disorder.
• Prioritizing mental health support for individuals with hypochondriasis is crucial for reducing mortality.