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Cited by 51Psychosomatic Disorders and Their TreatmentsChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Health Anxiety in Preadolescence - Associated Health Problems, Healthcare Expenditure, and Continuity in Childhood

Rask, Charlotte Ulrikka, Munkholm, Anja, Clemmensen, Lars, Rimvall, Martin K., Ørnbøl, Eva, Jeppesen, Pia, Skovgaard, Anne Mette·2016·Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
DOI 10.1007/s10802-015-0071-2
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Abstract

Epidemiological data on the distribution, persistence, and clinical correlates of health anxiety (HA) in childhood are scarce. We investigated continuity of HA symptoms and associated health problems and medical costs in primary health services in a general population birth cohort. HA symptoms were assessed in 1886 Danish 11-12 year old children (48 % boys) from the Copenhagen Child Cohort using the Childhood Illness Attitude Scales (CIAS) together with information on socio-demographics and the child's somatic and mental status and healthcare expenditure. Non-parametric statistics and regression analysis were used to compare groups with low (n = 184), intermediate (n = 1539), and high (n = 161) HA symptom scores. The association between HA symptoms assessed at age 5-7 years and HA symptoms at ages 11-12 years was examined by Stuart-Maxwell test. HA symptoms were significantly associated with emotional disorders and unspecific somatic complaints, but not with chronic physical conditions. In regression analyses controlling for gender and physical comorbidity, healthcare expenditure peaked in children with the highest HA symptom score, that is these children used on average approximately 150 Euro more than children with the lowest score during the 2-year period preceding inclusion. HA symptoms at age 5-7 years were significantly associated with HA symptoms at age 11-12 years. We conclude that HA symptoms, including hypochondriacal fears and beliefs, were non-trivial in preadolescents; they showed continuity from early childhood and association with emotional disorders, unspecific somatic complaints, and increased healthcare expenditure. Further research in the clinical significance of childhood HA is required.

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  • The onset of health anxiety typically occurs in early adulthood, but some research suggests it may start as early as childhood in some cases.

    “While the onset of health anxiety typically occurs in early adulthood [1], some research suggests that it may start as early as childhood in some cases [12, 13, 16–18].”

    From Illness Anxiety Disorder: A Review of the Current Research and Future Directions (2024) · cites this paper as [18]

  • Research examining the prevalence of health anxiety using diagnostic criteria suggests that very few children meet full diagnostic criteria, leading researchers to argue that this could be due to a lack of appropriate descriptions of how severe health anxiety presents in children and youth.

    “However, research examining the prevalence of health anxiety using diagnostic criteria suggests that very few children meet full diagnostic criteria [18, 91, 92], leading researchers to argue that this could be due to a lack of appropriate descriptions of how severe health anxiety presents in children and youth [93].”

    From Illness Anxiety Disorder: A Review of the Current Research and Future Directions (2024) · cites this paper as [18]

  • Recent evidence suggests health anxiety may start, at least for some, in childhood and adolescence.

    “Finally, recent evidence suggests health anxiety may start, at least for some, in childhood and adolescence.”

    From Illness Anxiety Disorder: A Review of the Current Research and Future Directions (2024) · cites this paper as [18]

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Authors
Rask, C. U., Munkholm, A., Clemmensen, L., Rimvall, M. K., Ørnbøl, E., Jeppesen, P., & Skovgaard, A. M.
Affiliations
  • Aarhus University Hospital (DK)
  • Mental Health Services (DK)
  • University of Copenhagen (DK)
Corresponding author
Rask, Charlotte Ulrikka
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2015-08-27
Volume
44
Issue
4
Pages
823-832
ISSN
  • 0091-0627 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-2835
DOI
10.1007/s10802-015-0071-2
OpenAlex
W1128415971
Cited by
51
References
37
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2
FWCI
2.70
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
health anxiety, preadolescents, childhood, health care expenditure, emotional disorders, somatic symptoms, primary care
MeSH terms
Anxiety, Attitude to Health, Child, Child, Preschool, Denmark, Health Expenditures, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Health Status, Humans, Hypochondriasis, Male

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