Health Anxiety in People Coping with Grief or Loss: Prevalence, Risk & Key Differences

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? NE
Is it more common among people coping with grief or loss? Recent illness/death can heighten fear of one's own illness/death
Are people coping with grief or loss at higher risk? #N/A
How much higher is the risk? NE
How often can it be missed? #N/A
Does it show up differently among people coping with grief or loss? Strong Yes
How might it look different? Illness-related death can make benign sensations feel newly threatening; distinguish normal mortality awareness from persistent HA
What commonly occurs alongside it? #N/A
What can it be confused with? Normal bereavement-related concern; panic; IAD
Common screening tool SHAI — Short Health Anxiety Inventory
Separate screening tool for people coping with grief or loss None
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