Reference Message Network reported on April 13 that according to a report by the Buenos Aires Economic News of Argentina on March 26, with the development of social media platforms, the "nocebo effect" phenomenon has become increasingly prominent, meaning that an obsession with the impact of medical side effects can lead to actual symptoms. This amplifies people's negative expectations of medical treatment.
The nocebo effect is a phenomenon opposite to the placebo effect and has become a hot topic in medical research, especially against the backdrop of the current digital age. For a long time, it has been believed that placebos can induce people to believe in a certain treatment method, thereby having a positive impact on health. However, an obsession with potential side effects of medical treatment may cause symptoms to appear without any direct cause.
The rise of social platforms has exacerbated this phenomenon to a large extent. Sharing experiences of seeking medical advice (usually without reliable scientific evidence) on social platforms can trigger adverse reactions, influencing users' perceptions of their personal health and medical care.
The way people absorb and process information greatly affects their physical and mental well-being. The nocebo effect refers to a situation where a person believes they will experience adverse symptoms without being exposed to harmful substances or therapies, based on their own expectations.
This adverse reaction has no basis for treatment but is triggered by negative mental forces and an obsession with side effects. In other words, when a person is convinced that something will harm them, their body reacts as if it really will be harmed.
The causes of the nocebo effect are complex, but the most prominent one is the "social learning" phenomenon. This means that people tend to form expectations about their health based on others' experiences or external information (such as what they see on social platforms), even if such information is not effective.
Fake information circulating on platforms like Facebook or X is likely to influence people's health in some ways, just like well-tested experiences.
In addition, psychological factors (people tend to interpret information negatively) play a crucial role in the manifestation of the nocebo effect.
A study conducted by Australian researchers explored how information on social platforms leads to the gradual reinforcement of the nocebo effect. The findings revealed that the influence of social learning or others' experiences is as strong as personal direct experiences, and in many cases, even more influential than the information provided by doctors.
These findings highlight that the influence of social platforms on patients' perceptions is increasing, and stories shared by netizens may cause unnecessary panic and increase unnecessary side effects. Misinformation about certain treatments can even affect patients before they receive treatment.
Cosette Saunders, a psychologist at the University of Sydney and the main author of the aforementioned study, believes that under the impetus of social learning, patients' expectations of medical side effects are likely to cause unnecessary suffering and impose high costs on the healthcare system.
The nocebo effect is not a recent phenomenon. One of the most illustrative historical cases dates back to 1998 when multiple teachers and students at a school in Tennessee claimed to have experienced poisoning symptoms caused by inhaling toxic gas, which they had never encountered before. However, it was later proven that they were all healthy. In this incident, the collective belief in a possible gas leak led to physical reactions such as nausea and dizziness.
This event indicates that even without specific causes, expectations of harm can manifest as actual symptoms. Such reactions frequently occur in daily life, especially when discussing the side effects of medical treatments.
With the popularity of social platforms, this phenomenon has intensified. People can now share personal experiences instantly on social platforms, exaggerating experiences of medical side effects, even though these personal experiences do not represent universal experiences. Studies show that negative information on social platforms is associated with the appearance of similar side effects in people, even without any real basis for expecting such physical reactions.
Finally, this trend highlights that after being reinforced by information from friends, family, or even strangers on social platforms, patients' expectations are likely to change their perception of treatment, thus altering their own experience.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7492683982648148530/
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