Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Evidence That Really Matters

Scared to death?

BMJ 2002; 325 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.325.7378.1442 (Published 21 December 2002) Cite this as: BMJ 2002;325:1442

Rapid Response:

WE MUST NOT ENCOURAGE SUPERSTITIONS IN MEDICINE

I am grateful for the article by Smith (1) which I hope has once and
for all dispersed the myths that Chinese people are non-scientific and
superstitious, especially related to serious issues such as personal
health. I would also like to point out that the number four does not
equate to the meaning of death, only so if the number four is pronounced
in the Cantonese dialect.

Whilst there is some circumstantial evidence to suggest that negative
and superstitious beliefs about death may cause health anxiety (2), we
really should not exaggerate on these findings which are not
scientifically proven, may be mis-quoted by the public, and may breed
further superstition (3).

REFERENCES

Gary Smith. Scared to death? BMJ 2002; 325:1442-1443.

James A, Wells A. Death beliefs, superstitious beliefs and health
anxiety. Br J Clin Psychol 2002 Mar; 41(Pt 1): 43-53.

Kalantri SP. Temple healing. Healing temples may breed superstitions.
BMJ 2002; 325(7370): 968.

Competing interests:  
None declared

Competing interests: No competing interests

20 December 2002
Y.C. CHAN
Surgical SpR, South-East Thames Deanery
Eastbourne District General Hospital, King's Drive, Eastbourne, East Essex BN21 2UD.