Health Anxiety Disorder and Its Impact on Health Services Utilization: A Narrative Review Article

Health anxiety disorder (HAD) is defined as anxiety about having a serious illness or fear of a serious illness, despite the assurances of doctors to the contrary. The purpose of this study was to review HAD, its diagnostic criteria, and its impact on health services utilization in a review article in 2018. For this aim, articles in ProQuest, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and ISI Web of Science databases were selected without a publication time limit, and then, data on the nature, diagnostic criteria, and the effect of HAD on health services utilization were extracted. HAD is a relatively common disorder that persists in the absence of suitable management and results in excessive utilization of health services, avoidance of health care, and disruption of the function of individuals. Therefore, with early diagnosis, repetition of counseling, clinical trials, and the use of health services is avoidable and will prevent cost increases. Consequently it is better to have consensus on the diagnosis criteria of this disorder and, if diagnosed, the person is treated.