{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T13:17:24Z","timestamp":1785417444258,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":89,"publisher":"Royal College of Psychiatrists","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,22]],"date-time":"2026-05-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779408000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/terms"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["cambridge.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Br J Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"S0007125026106473_as1\">\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Health anxiety, characterised by excessive worry about having or acquiring a serious illness, significantly impacts mental health and well-being. Determining which psychological interventions and components should be considered as first-line treatments requires robust evidence.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"S0007125026106473_as2\">\n                    <jats:title>Aims<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of various psychological interventions and their essential components in managing health anxiety.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"S0007125026106473_as3\">\n                    <jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple academic databases, including PubMed, Embase, PsyINFO, Web of Science, Scopus and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, with updates until 16 January 2025. Randomised clinical trials investigating the efficacy of psychological interventions among adults with substantial levels of health anxiety were included. We employed random-effects network meta-analysis for treatment comparison, and component network meta-analysis to assess the impacts of key therapeutic elements.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"S0007125026106473_as4\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 35 trials involving 3263 participants (67% female; mean age 37 years, s.d. = 6) were analysed. The results revealed significant effects for several therapies, including cognitive\u2013behavioural therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, metacognitive therapy, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, as well as behavioural stress management, compared with a waiting list control. However, cognitive bias modification, imagery therapy and short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy did not show significant effects. Component analysis indicated that exposure and response prevention, cognitive restructuring and mindfulness were linked to improved treatment outcomes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"S0007125026106473_as5\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Both CBT and third-wave CBT are reasonable first-line choices for managing health anxiety. Effective CBT packages for health anxiety should integrate key components such as exposure and response prevention, cognitive restructuring and mindfulness.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.2026.10647","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,22]],"date-time":"2026-05-22T04:06:31Z","timestamp":1779422791000},"page":"1-10","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/policypage","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The comparative effectiveness of psychological interventions for health anxiety: systematic review and a network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials"],"prefix":"10.1192","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5627-3786","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lizu","family":"Lai","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03x1jna21","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Central China Normal University"},{"name":"Hubei University of Chinese Medicine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1516-4863","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yinong","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03x1jna21","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Central China Normal University"},{"name":"University of Macau"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2562-2925","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Erland","family":"Axelsson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Karolinska Institute"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0358-1459","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Peter","family":"Tyrer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Imperial College London"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ying","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03x1jna21","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Central China Normal University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yi","family":"Lu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03x1jna21","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Central China Normal University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Congrong","family":"Shi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anhui Normal University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3753-6242","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zhihong","family":"Ren","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03x1jna21","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Central China Normal University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"170","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref13","unstructured":"13 Tolin, DF. Doing CBT: A Comprehensive Guide to Working with Behaviors, Thoughts, and Emotions . Guilford Publications, 2023."},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref1","first-page":"1","volume-title":"The Clinician\u2019s Guide to Treating Health Anxiety","author":"Asmundson","year":"2019"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref62","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.bp.113.140913"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref66","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/a0039056"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref79","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0005-7967(00)00022-X"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2174\/1573400509666131119004444"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref35","article-title":"Revised Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2.0): additional considerations for cluster-randomized trials","volume":"10","author":"Eldridge","year":"2016","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brat.2014.05.002"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref64","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291720001312"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref74","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.15557\/PiPK.2020.0011"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref72","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10608-015-9745-x"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref84","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/a0024355"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref89","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1077-7229(05)80048-3"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/bimj.201800167"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.ajp.161.9.1680"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11920-018-0912-0"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/sim.3767"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclinepi.2010.03.016"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brat.2006.08.004"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.bp.112.115402"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291702005822"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref68","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/a0028782"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref73","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.bp.108.052936"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref82","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.janxdis.2015.05.008"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S1352465816000527"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclinepi.2018.02.012"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/a0028310"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed.1003082"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-12-811806-1.00006-8"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref76","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291710000292"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.bp.111.103960"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref70","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/ccp0000248"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/14737167.2019.1703182"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref87","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/wps.20798"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cpr.2005.07.003"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/aje\/kwp014"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/cncr.30478"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1101\/2023.05.19.23290084"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref44","first-page":"187","volume-title":"Meta-Research. Vol 2345. Methods in Molecular Biology","author":"Watt","year":"2022"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0145445510393730"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref30","volume-title":"Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5-TR","year":"2022"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/ije\/dys041"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbtep.2019.101518"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.173.3.218"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.32598\/JRH.13.2.2111.1"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamapsychiatry.2020.0940"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclinepi.2005.06.006"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref32","volume-title":"The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines","year":"1992"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref63","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.bp.116.181396"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0005-7916(99)00027-0"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref77","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/psyp.12984"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref78","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(13)61905-4"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.291.12.1464"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamapsychiatry.2020.2993"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref71","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.janxdis.2021.102425"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref61","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.bp.110.086843"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7326\/M14-2385"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref83","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.bp.114.146761"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref86","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2215-0366(21)00077-8"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpsychores.2011.07.004"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpsychores.2017.07.010"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12874-015-0060-8"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291715001579"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(15)61478-7"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.comppsych.2022.152334"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s12529-018-9748-6"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/jrsm.1045"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/16506073.2012.717302"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7326\/0003-4819-151-4-200908180-00135"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/9781119536604.ch8"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref67","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10615806.2014.918964"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref57","unstructured":"57 de Meza Skjernov, MK. Group cognitive behaviour therapy for severe health anxiety: a randomised controlled trial: personality disorders and traits in severe health anxiety. PhD thesis, University of Copenhagen, 2017."},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref80","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1192\/bjp.169.2.189"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.327.7414.557"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref51","first-page":"100751","article-title":"Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of metacognitive therapy for health anxiety: a pilot RCT","volume":"16","author":"Bailey","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Affect Disord Rep"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref9","first-page":"68","article-title":"Psychological interventions for health anxiety and somatic symptoms","volume":"228","author":"Maass","year":"2020","journal-title":"Z Fur Psychol"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref85","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291717003919"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.18637\/jss.v106.i02"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref54","volume-title":"Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial of a Self-Help Book for Health Anxiety","author":"Bovell","year":"2012"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref60","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1176\/ajp.2007.164.1.91"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref31","volume-title":"Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV-TR","year":"2000"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/wps.20442"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref65","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brat.2025.104790"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/jrsm.1332"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref69","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12916-019-1253-5"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref88","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/2046-4053-1-41"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/a0029932"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref75","first-page":"110","article-title":"The effect of internet-delivered mindfulness stress reduction combined with acceptance and commitment therapy on health anxiety and quality of life of caregiver of patients infected by COVID-19: a randomized clinical trial","volume":"11","author":"Shahidi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Community Based Nurs Midwifery"},{"key":"S0007125026106473_ref81","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10608-012-9482-3"}],"container-title":["The British Journal of Psychiatry"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/services\/aop-cambridge-core\/content\/view\/S0007125026106473","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,22]],"date-time":"2026-05-22T04:06:38Z","timestamp":1779422798000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/product\/identifier\/S0007125026106473\/type\/journal_article"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,22]]},"references-count":89,"alternative-id":["S0007125026106473"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1192\/bjp.2026.10647","relation":{},"ISSN":["0007-1250","1472-1465"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0007-1250","type":"print"},{"value":"1472-1465","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,22]]},"assertion":[{"value":"\u00a9 The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal College of Psychiatrists","name":"copyright","label":"Copyright","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}}]}}