Nocebo Effects in Long-Term Health Conditions: A Systematic Review of 13 Studies

A systematic review synthesizing experimental evidence on nocebo effects in adults with long-term health conditions. The review, authored by Billy A. Church and published on figshare in May 2026, includes 13 studies covering chronic pain, asthma, Parkinson's disease, cancer, and dermatology. It narratively synthesizes findings on induction methods, symptom domains, and potential moderators.

Use Cases

• Analyzing nocebo induction methods based on the review's focus on verbal suggestion, conditioning, and negatively framed communication.
• Comparing symptom domains affected by nocebo responses based on the described coverage of subjective intensity, physiological markers, and brain activation.
• Identifying research gaps in psychological moderators based on the review's note of inconsistent measurement of anxiety and other factors.

Strengths

• Follows PRISMA 2020 guidelines and was preregistered on the Open Science Framework, indicating a structured methodology.
• Includes 13 experimental studies, providing a focused synthesis of available evidence.
• Covers multiple long-term conditions including chronic pain, asthma, Parkinson's disease, cancer, and dermatology.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for quantitative analysis.
• The review notes substantial heterogeneity in induction procedures and outcome measures, limiting direct comparability.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Systematic review of literature from MEDLINE, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and CINAHL searched to 21 August 2025.

Time Range

Studies included up to August 2025.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-08 05:30:37; freshness should be verified.

Geography

null