Health anxiety, formerly known as hypochondriasis, is a mental health condition where individuals excessively worry about having or developing a serious medical illness, even in the absence of significant medical symptoms. This persistent preoccupation with health can lead to significant distress and impairment in daily functioning, as individuals may frequently check their body for signs of illness, seek reassurance from doctors, or excessively research medical conditions online. Health anxiety can be broken down into two related but distinct disorders: somatic symptom disorder and illness anxiety disorder.

Somatic symptom disorder (SSD) involves the presence of one or more physical symptoms that are distressing to the individual, but the level of distress or impairment is disproportionate to the actual medical condition. These symptoms may or may not be related to an underlying medical issue, but the anxiety about them often leads individuals to believe they have a serious illness. The focus is on the intensity of the symptoms rather than on an actual diagnosis.

Illness anxiety disorder (IAD), on the other hand, is characterized by a preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness, despite having few or no symptoms. Individuals with IAD may misinterpret normal bodily sensations (e.g., a headache or a stomach rumble) as signs of a serious disease and may frequently seek medical tests and procedures for reassurance, only to remain anxious even after receiving a clean bill of health.

Health anxiety is relatively common, affecting an estimated 1-5% of the general population. It can occur at any age, but often begins in adolescence or early adulthood. The prevalence of somatic symptom disorder is estimated at about 5-7% of the population, while illness anxiety disorder is believed to affect about 1-10% of individuals. Both disorders can lead to chronic worry, repeated doctor visits, and significant disruption in a person’s social, occupational, and personal life.