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The Measurement and Treatment of Suppression in Amblyopia
Published on: December 15, 2012
Reassurance through normalization inadvertently suppresses treatment
Seyi Lawal1, Brianna Chew2, On Amir2
1Rady School of Management, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. Seyi.Lawal@rady.ucsd.edu.
Nature Human Behaviour
|August 10, 2026
Summary
Healthcare providers reassuring patients about normal symptoms may unintentionally discourage treatment. This normalization can lead patients to believe treatment is unnecessary, despite intentions to reduce anxiety.
Area of Science:
- Health communication
- Behavioral science
- Patient psychology
Background:
- Healthcare providers use symptom normalization to reassure patients and reduce anxiety.
- Normalization aims to bolster self-efficacy, encouraging health-related actions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the paradoxical effect of symptom normalization on patients' inclination to seek treatment.
- To understand the psychological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon and identify communication strategies to mitigate negative effects.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis of 14 studies involving 9,371 participants.
- Experimental designs were employed to examine the impact of normalization on treatment-seeking behavior.
Main Results:
- Symptom normalization was found to paradoxically reduce patients' willingness to pursue treatment.
- Patients infer that normalized symptoms do not warrant medical intervention, contrary to provider intentions.
Conclusions:
- Communication strategies are needed to overcome the unintended consequence of normalization leading to reduced treatment seeking.
- Findings highlight the importance of careful communication in healthcare to ensure patients receive appropriate care.
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