Iatrophobia is fear of going to a medical provider’s office or receiving medical treatment. Some people avoid care because of general health anxiety, fearing a terrible health problem. Others develop fear after traumatic healthcare experiences involving themselves or loved ones. When fear arises, the sympathetic and/or parasympathetic nervous systems can activate, increasing heart rate and blood pressure. This can produce “white-coat syndrome,” where blood pressure is higher in the clinic. For needle or blood-draw fears, specific procedure-related phobias can intensify avoidance. Addressing underlying anxiety disorders and depression is important for reducing iatrophobia and enabling patients to get needed healthcare.
"The fear of going to a medical provider's office or getting a medical treatment is called iatrophobia. As a parent, there are ways you can help your college student overcome iatrophobia and get the healthcare they need."
"Some students have general health anxiety-i.e., fear that they have a terrible health problem-that keeps them away from the doctor's office. In fact, health anxiety in college students has increased from 1985 to 2017. Other students may fear seeing the doctor due to a traumatic healthcare experience of their own or of a loved one."
"If students have a fear of seeing the doctor, their sympathetic nervous system may get activated, leading to increases in heart rate and blood pressure. They might have high blood pressure in the doctor's office, known as "white-coat syndrome." A solution to this problem is to have patient check their blood pressure at home and report back the results to the doctor."
"Treating underlying anxiety disorders and depression is important to helping patients overcome iatrophobia."
Read at Psychology Today
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