HealthDay Reports: COVID and Hypochondria — Online Therapy May Help Ease Fears
While in-person talk therapy is the gold standard for helping hypochondria patients, a new study suggests online therapy can be just as effective.
COVID and Hypochondria: Online Therapy May Help Ease Fears
TUESDAY, May 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- This is not a good time to have hypochondria. For folks who routinely obsess about their health, the coronavirus crisis could greatly magnify their distress. But there's some good news for them in this era of sheltering-in-place.
While in-person talk therapy is the gold standard for helping hypochondria patients overcome a crippling fear of health threats, a new study suggests online therapy can be just as effective.
Prior research suggests "that people who typically worry much about their health react more strongly to health-related threats, such as that of a pandemic," said Erland Axelsson, the study author. And if so, the ability to access online treatment options could prove invaluable to such patients, he said.