Joint Hypermobility and Anxiety: The State of the Art
Abstract
Joint hypermobility (JH) is considered a common benign, hereditary, overlap, connective tissue disorder with a prevalence in the general population of about 10% in European populations and 25% in other ethnic groups. JH shows an association with mitral valve prolapse and fibromyalgia. However, the most significant and important association between joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) and any other disorder from a clinical point of view is with panic disorder. This article summarizes all published studies on JHS and anxiety, analyzing the main results and limitations. An overview of the etiologic explanation of the association between JH and anxiety, with special focus on genetic findings, is also included. The most relevant conclusions are the following: JHS is more prevalent in individuals with panic disorder/agoraphobia, and patients with JHS present with greater prevalence of panic disorder/agoraphobia. In addition, there is an association between JHS severity and severity of anxiety, and mitral valve prolapse plays a secondary role in the association between JHS and anxiety. New fields of research based on these data are suggested.
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Fear of pain is particularly pronounced in those with chronic musculoskeletal issues.
“Many attribute their decreased activity levels to pain, and fear of pain is particularly pronounced in those with chronic musculoskeletal issues.13, 14, 15”
From Role of Anxiety in Individuals with Generalized Joint Hypermobility: A Systematic Review (2025) · cites this paper as [14]
Joint hypermobility is associated with the heightened expression of anxiety symptoms.
“confirming that joint hypermobility is associated with the heightened expression of anxiety symptoms (Garcia-Campayo et al., 2011; Bianchi Sanches et al., 2012; Smith et al., 2014)”
From Neuroimaging and psychophysiological investigation of the link between anxiety, enhanced affective reactivity and interoception in people with joint hypermobility (2014) · cites this paper as Garcia-Campayo et al., 2011
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Role of Anxiety in Individuals with Generalized Joint Hypermobility: A Systematic Review
van Die-de Vries, J. E., Rameckers, E., Calders, P., Engelbert, R. H., Ramaekers, S. P., Goossens, M. E., & Verbunt, J. A. (2025) · Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation · doi:10.1016/j.arrct.2025.100467 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
- Authors
- Garcia-Campayo, J., Asso, E., & Alda, M.
- Affiliations
- Universidad de Zaragoza (ES)
- Venue
- Current Psychiatry Reports
- Published
- 2010-10-21
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 18-25
- ISSN
- 1523-3812 (ISSN-L)
- 1535-1645
- OpenAlex
- W2009380552
- Cited by
- 52
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Current Psychiatry Reports (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Connective tissue disorders research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research
- Keywords
- joint hypermobility syndrome, anxiety, panic disorder, agoraphobia, mitral valve prolapse, fibromyalgia, connective tissue diseases, genetic susceptibility, disease severity
- MeSH terms
- Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders, Humans, Joint Instability, Prevalence
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