If you want to translate the name, it means Latin for “I harm”. The principle involves the opposite of the placebo effect. That is, the patient does not expect the positive, but – on the contrary – he fears the worst. Thus, he is quite convinced that the active ingredient of a drug could harm him. A typical example of a nocebo effect is, for example, a fear triggered by the information in the package insert.
What does the affected person do?
When the nocebo effect is strong, the patient is often no longer willing to take the prescribed medication as prescribed by the physician. In the worst case, compliance suffers to such an extent that the affected person does not take the medication at all. In certain cases, this can have serious consequences. For example, in the case of high blood pressure or heart disease. Here, a possible non-adherence can even be fatal. Another way patients act is to become frantically active and pull out every piece of information they can find. In doing so, the effort is out of proportion to the cause.
Self-fulfilling prophecy – Self-fulfilling prophecy.
In anxious or very sensitive patients, the nocebo effect goes so far as to actually cause them discomfort. For example, if patients are told that a particular drug will cause gastrointestinal distress, some will actually develop that discomfort.
What is the role of the effect?
In the everyday life of doctors and clinics, the nocebo effect – in contrast to the placebo effect – does not play a major role. This is not surprising, since it costs less energy and is healthier to create a positive attitude of expectation than to reduce fears of becoming ill due to external influences.
