Major
Nursing
Minor(s)
Spanish
Advisor
Fuvich, Jennifer
Advisor Department
Nursing, College of
Date
5-2020
Keywords
Iatrophobia; healthcare professionals; appointments; stress; fear
Abstract
According to Mara Hollander (2019), iatrophobia is “the fear of doctors, medical care, or the medical care system." The most severe cases of this fear only affect a small percentage of the population; however, many people, for a variety of reasons, reported that they disliked or felt uncomfortable seeking medical care. An anonymous survey was created and distributed to males and females between the ages of 18 to 75 to retrieve self-reported data regarding specific questions about doctor's visits and the healthcare system. The total sample consisted of 379 participants who voluntarily completed the assessment. Quantitative data was collected using a Google Survey form. Data was then analyzed using analytical software SPSS to determine patterns among participants with this fear. The data showed that 19.6% of respondents reported having a fear of doctors, and 46.3% of people felt negative emotions and/or stress from upcoming healthcare appointments. The largest demographic groups that reported they have hesitations about seeking medical help were 18-24-year-old females and 46-55-year-old males. Overall, through this sample of data many patterns emerged about age groups and gender and why these individuals dislike going to the doctor.
Iatrophobia Infographic