Predictors of health anxiety in cancer patients' loved ones: A controlled comparison
Abstract
Objective
Cognitive-behavioural models suggest that vicarious illness experiences precipitate health anxiety; however, this assumption is largely untested. This study aimed to (a) compare the severity of health anxiety and rates of clinical health anxiety, Illness Anxiety Disorder (IAD), and Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) in participants with and without a loved one with cancer, and (b) determine the predictors of health anxiety severity in participants with vicarious cancer experiences.
Methods
Participants with (n = 142) and without (n = 65) vicarious cancer experiences completed an online battery of questionnaires assessing the severity and cognitive, physiological, and behavioural components of health anxiety. Participants reporting clinical levels of health anxiety completed a diagnostic telephone interview to assess for IAD and SSD.
Results
Severity and rates of clinical health anxiety, IAD, and SSD did not differ between groups. Participants with a vicarious experience of cancer reported elevated fear of cancer recurrence regarding their loved one's illness, however only 15.8% reported clinically significant health anxiety. Hierarchical regression revealed that in participants with vicarious cancer experiences, less relationship closeness and greater perceived risk of cancer, severity of somatic symptoms, bodily hypervigilance, and catastrophic interpretation of symptoms predicted health anxiety. Being a caregiver for or genetically related to the person with cancer, the expectedness of the cancer diagnosis, and whether the loved one died from cancer were not significant predictors.
Conclusions
These results suggest that people reporting vicarious cancer experiences do not have elevated rates of health anxiety. However, how these individuals interpret their experiences influences health anxiety severity.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
Data available on request due to privacy/ethical restrictions: The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.
