More support needed for sufferers of chronic diseases who also have needle fear

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-06-11 11:30

Australia; SA

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Effective treatments are needed for people who are afraid of needles and are sufferers of chronic diseases which require regular injections, according to Aussie researchers who conducted a review of relevant papers addressing needle fear. The researchers say that needle fear is an experience of dislike, discomfort, or phobia of injections, most commonly associated with children and vaccinations, or dental operations. However, the team found that the condition was under-researched in adult sufferers of chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, and kidney failure which all require a significant number of injections over a sustained period. They found that the fear has the ability to erode long-term health by making people hesitant to get life-sustaining treatments, which contributes to the psychological burden associated with chronic disease management.