Thread by @fabiovelo

🚨New publication🚨

Practical recommendations to communicate with patients about health-related conspiracy theories
with @Karen_Douglas & @DrDanielJolley
in @theMJA

#openaccess here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.5694/mj…

A short 🧵 thread on our Perspective piece
#ConspiracyTheories
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Health-related conspiracy theories take many different
forms, but typically suggest that information is
deliberately concealed from the public by individuals
or powerful groups within the government or health
industry. These beliefs are widespread and potentially harmful.
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e.g., “pharmaceutical companies are hiding evidence that vaccinations can cause serious illnesses and disabilities in children,” and “the number of COVID-19
deaths have been exaggerated by the media and governments to scare the population”
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In this short perspective piece we explore why some people believe in health-related conspiracy theories, what the consequences are, importantly what approaches can reduce this belief, and make practical recommendations for health care workers
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Consistent with @Karen_Douglas, Sutton, & Cichocka "Psychology of conspiracy theories" journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.11… we suggest that patients may be drawn to health-related conspiracy theories when they feel uncertain, vulnerable and isolated
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Feelings heightened due to various social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. People might come to health care professionals with conspiracy-related suspicions, motivated by an unmet epistemic need to defend their beliefs, in search of validation or reassurance.
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Research shows that people who believe anti-vaccination conspiracy theories are less likely to vaccinate children journals.plos.org/plosone/articl…
Those exposed to antidepressant conspiracy theories less likely to seek medical help bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/…
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How can we reduce belief in conspiracy theories?

Inoculating people against a weakened form of the conspiracy theory in order decrease the effects of exposure to conspiracy theory.
There's also promising research on harnessing social norms. see: journals.plos.org/plosone/articl…
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As doctors and nurses are trusted professionals, they can be influential messengers for patients who present with conspiracy theories. We offer some strategies and conversation prompts that may help identify and navigate through the root causes of conspiracy theory belief
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Let us know what you think of this Perspectives piece.
This was a team effort, and couldn't have been possible without my incredible co-authors @Karen_Douglas & @DrDanielJolley and the editors/reviewers @theMJA. The paper is #openaccess
cc @latrobe @LTUresearchers
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