The nocebo effect occurs when a patient's own expectations about a treatment cause the treatment to have a worse effect than it otherwise would, for instance experiencing an anticipated side effect of a medication even when the substance received is actually inert. More broadly, it describes falling ill simply by consciously or subconsciously anticipating a harmful event, and it is the mirror image of the placebo effect, in which expectation improves an outcome rather than worsening it. Both effects are presumed to be psychogenic but can produce measurable changes in the body, and a review of 31 studies on the nocebo effect reported a wide range of associated symptoms, including nausea, stomach pain, itching, bloating, depression, sleep problems, loss of appetite and severe hypotension.
Facts
Core ClaimA nocebo effect occurs when a patient's expectations for a treatment cause the treatment to have a worse effect than it otherwise would have. 1 Everyday Context Replication Standing Partially Attested
First Described YearThis is the year the term nocebo was coined by Walter Kennedy, not necessarily the year the underlying effect was first observed or described. Classification
Type of Phenomenon Connections
Sources
1. Nocebo, Wikipedia
opening definition paragraph
A nocebo effect is said to occur when a patient's expectations for a treatment cause the treatment to have a worse effect than it otherwise would have.
Etymology and usage section
Walter Kennedy coined the term nocebo (Latin nocēbō, "I shall harm", from noceō, "I harm") in 1961 to denote the counterpart of placebo (Latin placēbō, "I shall please", from placeō, "I please"), a substance that may produce a beneficial, healthful, pleasant, or desirable effect.
Lead
A nocebo effect is said to occur when a patient's expectations for a treatment cause the treatment to have a worse effect than it otherwise would have.
In Branch: Health Psychology, Lead sentence
A nocebo effect is said to occur when a patient's expectations for a treatment cause the treatment to have a worse effect than it otherwise would have.
View the Source2. FORRT: FORRT Replications and Reversals
FORRTEntry: Nocebo effectQuote, Entry: Nocebo effect
Nocebo effect. This phenomenon is said to occur when negative expectations of an individual about an experience (e.g. a medical treatment) cause the experience to have a more negative effect than it would have otherwise. Statistics Status: replicated
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