How common is health anxiety?

Health anxiety affects an estimated 5.7% of people over their lifetime, with 3.4% experiencing it in any given year (Sunderland et al., 2013). In primary care settings, prevalence is even higher at 7-19.9% (Scarella et al., 2019). The condition has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 25% global rise in anxiety disorders reported by the WHO.

Can health anxiety kill you?

A 2023 study from Karolinska Institutet (JAMA Psychiatry) found that people with health anxiety have 69% higher all-cause mortality and die approximately 5 years earlier (70 vs 75 years). Most deaths were from preventable causes: respiratory diseases (2.3x higher), circulatory diseases (52% higher), and suicide (4x higher). Cancer risk was not elevated. The paradox: people who worry most about their health die younger from treatable conditions.

Does CBT work for health anxiety?

Yes. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective treatment for health anxiety. A meta-analysis of 14 studies found a large effect size of d=1.01 (Cooper et al., 2017), with a 66% response rate and 48% full remission rate. Importantly, treatment gains are durable — a follow-up study showed benefits lasting at least 8 years (Tyrer et al., 2021). Internet-delivered CBT has also been shown to be as effective as face-to-face therapy (Axelsson et al., 2020).

Research

Health Anxiety Statistics

Prevalence, impact, treatment outcomes, and economic data — sourced from peer-reviewed research.

Last updated: March 2026. 21 peer-reviewed sources.

Cite this page: Condri. "Health Anxiety Statistics." condri.app/research/health-anxiety-statistics, 2026.

69%

Higher mortality risk

Die ~5 years younger, mostly from preventable causes (Mataix-Cols, 2023)

$256B

Annual US cost

Healthcare costs from somatization alone (Barsky, 2005)

Suicide risk

Compared to matched controls without health anxiety (Mataix-Cols, 2023)

8 years

Treatment benefits last

CBT improvements sustained in longest follow-up (Tyrer, 2021)

Impact & Mortality

A landmark 2023 study from Karolinska Institutet (Mataix-Cols et al., JAMA Psychiatry) matched 4,129 people with health anxiety against 41,290 controls and followed them for a mean of 7.7 years. The central finding is a paradox: people who worry most about their health die younger, primarily from preventable causes.

69%

Higher all-cause mortality (HR 1.69). People with health anxiety die approximately 5 years younger than the general population (70 vs 75 years). Most of these deaths were from potentially preventable causes.

Suicide risk (HR 4.14). The single largest driver of excess mortality in the unnatural causes category.

2.3x

Higher risk of death from respiratory diseases (HR 2.33). Circulatory diseases were 52% higher (HR 1.52). Cancer risk was not elevated (HR 0.99), which rules out simple medical avoidance as the explanation.

Why does this happen? The authors propose that chronic stress from health anxiety leads to dysregulated HPA axis function, immune dysfunction, and chronic inflammation, which over time damages the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The fact that cancer risk was unchanged suggests the problem is not that people avoid medical care, but that the anxiety itself takes a physical toll. They also point to underrecognition of health anxiety as a treatable condition, and limited access to evidence-based treatment.

Prevalence

5.7%

Lifetime prevalence of health anxiety, with 3.4% experiencing it in any given 12-month period. (Sunderland et al., 2013)

2-13%

Range of clinically significant health anxiety depending on diagnostic criteria and setting. (Scarella et al., 2019)

7-20%

Prevalence in primary care settings, where health anxiety is most commonly encountered but frequently missed. (Scarella et al., 2019)

Rising

Health anxiety increased significantly between 1985 and 2017, even before the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the trend. (Kosic et al., 2020)

Post-Pandemic Trends

25%

Global increase in anxiety and depressive disorders following the COVID-19 pandemic. (WHO, 2022)

2.6x

Increase in US anxiety prevalence, rising from 8.1% to 21.4% during the pandemic. (CDC)

UK anxiety levels doubled from 19% to 39% during the same period. (OECD, 2021)

+3 pts

Health anxiety scores remain approximately 3 units above pre-pandemic norms, suggesting the pandemic's impact on health-related worry has not fully resolved. (Plackett & Ferris, 2024)

Economic Burden

$256B

Estimated annual cost of somatization (medically unexplained symptoms) to the US healthcare system. This figure includes unnecessary tests, emergency visits, and specialist referrals driven by health anxiety. (Barsky et al., 2005)

$857-$21K

Per-person annual cost range for health anxiety, depending on severity and healthcare system. Even at the lower end, this represents a substantial economic impact given the millions affected. (Kawka et al., 2023)

40-80%

More healthcare utilisation among people with health anxiety, including more GP visits, specialist referrals, and diagnostic tests. (Fink et al., 2010)

2.2x

Annual healthcare costs for anxiety patients ($2,390) compared to those without ($1,098). (Kroenke et al., 2007)

Comorbidity

~33%

Of OCD patients also experience clinically significant health anxiety, reflecting the close relationship between the two conditions. (Solem et al., 2015)

60%

Of people with an anxiety disorder have at least one additional psychiatric diagnosis, making comorbidity the norm rather than the exception. (NICE CG113)

90%

Of OCD patients have at least one comorbid condition, including health anxiety, depression, and other anxiety disorders.

Cyberchondria & Online Searching

80%

Of internet users search for health information online, making it one of the most common uses of the internet.

1 in 5

Internet users experience anxiety escalation from symptom searching — where looking up symptoms increases rather than reduces their worry. (Starcevic & Berle, 2013)

Worse

People with high illness anxiety consistently feel worse after Googling symptoms, creating a vicious cycle where the search intended to provide reassurance instead fuels more anxiety. (te Poel et al., 2016)

Treatment Outcomes

The evidence is clear: health anxiety responds well to treatment. CBT produces large, durable effects — and internet-delivered formats make it more accessible than ever.

d=1.01

Large effect size for CBT in treating health anxiety, based on a meta-analysis of 14 controlled studies. For context, effect sizes above 0.8 are considered "large" in clinical research. (Cooper et al., 2017)

66%

Response rate to CBT, with 48% achieving full remission — meaning they no longer met diagnostic criteria for health anxiety. (Axelsson & Hedman-Lagerlof, 2019)

8 years

Treatment benefits sustained in the longest follow-up study to date, showing that CBT produces lasting change rather than temporary relief. (Tyrer et al., 2021)

Equal

Internet-delivered CBT was found to be noninferior to face-to-face therapy, removing a major barrier to treatment access. (Axelsson et al., 2020)

2/3

Of participants no longer met diagnostic criteria for health anxiety after completing an internet-based CBT program. (Hedman et al., 2011)

The Treatment Gap

27.6%

Only about one in four people with anxiety disorders receive any form of treatment worldwide, based on the World Mental Health Surveys across 21 countries. (WHO Fact Sheet; Alonso et al., 2018)

<20%

Of people with anxiety disorders receive appropriate medication, even among those who do access treatment. (Bandelow & Michaelis, 2015)

True prevalence is likely double the commonly cited 4-5% figure, as many people with health anxiety seek medical rather than psychological help and go undiagnosed. (Harvard Health, 2020)

Demographics

1.7x

Women are 1.7 times more likely to develop health anxiety than men. (McLean et al., 2011)

20s

Mean age of onset is in the early-to-mid twenties, with peak prevalence in the 25-29 age group.

References

Mataix-Cols D, et al. Association of hypochondriasis (health anxiety) with all-cause mortality and suicide. JAMA Psychiatry, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.4744
Sunderland M, et al. Investigating trajectories of change in psychological distress amongst patients with depression and generalised anxiety disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 2013. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.111.103960
Scarella TM, et al. The relationship of hypochondriasis to anxiety, depressive, and somatoform disorders. Psychosomatic Medicine, 2019. doi:10.1097/PSY.0000000000000691
Kosic A, et al. Changes in health anxiety over time: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2020. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102208
Plackett R, Ferris G. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health anxiety: a systematic review. PLOS Mental Health, 2024. doi:10.1371/journal.pmen.0000120
World Health Organization. Mental Health and COVID-19: Early evidence of the pandemic's impact. WHO Scientific Brief, 2022.
Barsky AJ, et al. Somatization increases medical utilization and costs independent of psychiatric and medical comorbidity. Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.8.903
Kawka J, et al. The economic burden of health anxiety: a systematic review of the cost-of-illness literature. BMC Public Health, 2023. doi:10.1186/s12889-023-17159-5
Fink P, et al. The prevalence of somatoform disorders among internal medical inpatients. PLoS ONE, 2010. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0009873
Kroenke K, et al. Anxiety disorders in primary care: prevalence, impairment, comorbidity, and detection. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2007. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-146-5-200703060-00004
Solem S, et al. Prevalence of health anxiety in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 2015.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults: management. Clinical guideline CG113, 2011 (updated 2019).
Starcevic V, Berle D. Cyberchondria: towards a better understanding of excessive health-related internet use. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 2013. doi:10.1586/ern.12.162
te Poel F, et al. The effect of online health information seeking on illness anxiety. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2016. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.07.009
Cooper K, et al. Cognitive behaviour therapy for health anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 2017. doi:10.1017/S1352465816000527
Axelsson E, Hedman-Lagerlof E. Cognitive behavior therapy for health anxiety: systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical efficacy and health economic outcomes. Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research, 2019. doi:10.1080/14737167.2019.1703182
Tyrer P, et al. Cognitive behaviour therapy for health anxiety in medical patients (CHAMP): long-term follow-up to 8 years. Psychological Medicine, 2021. doi:10.1017/S003329172000046X
Axelsson E, et al. Effect of internet vs face-to-face cognitive behavior therapy for health anxiety: a randomized noninferiority clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.0940
Hedman E, et al. Internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy for severe health anxiety: randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry, 2011. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.110.086843
Alonso J, et al. Treatment gap for anxiety disorders is global: Results of the World Mental Health Surveys in 21 countries. Depression and Anxiety, 2018. doi:10.1002/da.22711
Bandelow B, Michaelis S. Epidemiology of anxiety disorders in the 21st century. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 2015. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/bbandelow
McLean CP, et al. Gender differences in anxiety disorders: prevalence, course of illness, comorbidity and burden of illness. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 2011. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2011.03.006

Health anxiety is treatable

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