Health anxiety in Australia: prevalence, comorbidity, disability and service use
Open accessAbstract
Background: Health anxiety is associated with high distress, disability and increased health service utilisation. However, there are relatively few epidemiological studies examining the extent of health anxiety or the associated sociodemographic and health risk factors in the general population. Aims: To provide epidemiological data on health anxiety in the Australian population. Method: Lifetime and current prevalence estimates, associations between comorbid disorders, psychological distress, impairment, disability and mental health service utilisation were generated using the Australian 2007 National Survey of Mental Hearth and Wellbeing. Results: Health anxiety affects approximately 5.7% of the Australian population across the lifespan and 3.4% met criteria for health anxiety at the time of the interview. Age, employment status, smoking status and comorbid physical conditions were significantly related to health anxiety symptoms. Health anxiety was associated with significantly more distress, impairment, disability and health service utilisation than that found in respondents without health anxiety. Conclusions: Hearth anxiety is non-trivial; it affects a significant proportion of the population and further research and clinical investigation of health anxiety is required.
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The prevalence of health anxiety in the general adult population is estimated to range between 2.1% and 13.1%.
“The prevalence of health anxiety in the general adult population varies considerably across the literature and is estimated to range between 2.1–13.1% [4, 5].”
From Illness Anxiety Disorder: A Review of the Current Research and Future Directions (2024) · cites this paper as [4]
The Prevalence section reports Australian estimates of 3.4% current and 5.7% lifetime health anxiety, and the discussion says estimates vary across studies. It does not give the claimed 2.1–13.1% range; the discussion cites a population-based estimate of 0.58%, below its stated lower bound. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredHealth anxiety is a global health problem on the rise affecting 1-5% of the adult population.
“Health anxiety, often designated as hypochondriasis, is a global health problem on the rise affecting 1–5% of the adult population (Fink et al., 2004; Kosic, Lindholm, Jarvholm, Hedman-Lagerlof, & Axelsson, 2020; Sunderland, Newby, & Andrews, 2013)”
From Efficacy of internet-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy for severe health anxiety: results from a randomized, controlled trial. (2021) · cites this paper as Sunderland et al., 2013
The Prevalence section reports that 3.4% of the Australian sample currently experienced health anxiety, which falls within the cited 1–5% range. The study does not establish a global prevalence or show that health anxiety is rising over time; the trend it discusses is across age groups, not years. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredHealth anxiety is associated with greater levels of distress, thus warranting a greater need for psychological support.
“Health anxiety in particular is associated with greater levels of distress, thus warranting a greater need for psychological support [11-13].”
From A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Chatbot (Otis) for Health Anxiety Management: Mixed Methods Pilot Study (2022) · cites this paper as [13]
Health anxiety affects 1-5% of the adult population.
“Health anxiety affects 1–5% of the adult population [7, 8]”
From Cost Effectiveness of Internet-Delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Patients with Severe Health Anxiety: A Randomised Controlled Trial (2022) · cites this paper as [8]
Health anxiety is associated with extensive use of health care services, increased rates of occupational disability, depression and anxiety, and lowered quality of life.
“Consequently, health anxiety is associated with extensive use of health care services (Fink, Ornbol, & Christensen, 2010), increased rates of occupational disability, depression and anxiety, and lowered quality of life (Sunderland et al., 2013).”
From Efficacy of internet-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy for severe health anxiety: results from a randomized, controlled trial. (2021) · cites this paper as Sunderland et al., 2013
Eligible patients had severe health anxiety determined by established diagnostic criteria and a self-reported WI-7 score >21.4, which has been validated as a clinically relevant cut-off.
“Eligible patients had severe health anxiety determined by established diagnostic criteria [7] and a self-reported WI-7 score > 21.4 (scale range 0–100), which has been validated as a clinically relevant cut-off score [8].”
From Cost Effectiveness of Internet-Delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Patients with Severe Health Anxiety: A Randomised Controlled Trial (2022) · cites this paper as [8]
The citation [8] is attached to the claim that a WI-7 score above 21.4 is a validated clinically relevant cut-off. The Assessment section describes other measures, including the K10 and WHODAS, but neither the supplied passages nor searches for WI-7, the Whiteley Index, and 21.4 found a passage addressing that cut-off. (LLM, conf=0.76)
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References 36 · Cited by 280
- Authors
- Sunderland, M., Newby, J. M., & Andrews, G.
- Affiliations
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Sunderland, Matthew
- Venue
- British Journal of Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Published
- 2013-01
- Volume
- 202
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 56-61
- ISSN
- 0007-1250 (ISSN-L)
- 1472-1465
- OpenAlex
- W2112958637
- Cited by
- 280
- References
- 36
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 7
- FWCI
- 7.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The British Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UNSWorks (UNSW Sydney) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- UNSWorks (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Keywords
- health anxiety, prevalence, comorbidities, psychological distress, disability, mental health service utilization, sociodemographic risk factors, smoking, employment status, somatic comorbidity, Australian population
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Anxiety Disorders, Australia, Disability Evaluation, Epidemiologic Methods, Female, Humans, Hypochondriasis, Male, Mental Health Services, Middle Aged, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Socioeconomic Factors, Stress, Psychological, Age Distribution, Mood Disorders, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Young Adult
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