Summary: A new study shows that holding pseudoscientific or illusory beliefs about health is linked to reduced trust in conventional medicine and an increased likelihood of choosing unvalidated therapies. Analysis of more than 1,500 participants found that stronger illusory health beliefs predicted greater use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and lower adherence to evidence-based recommendations, while valuing science and feeling personal control over health helped protect against these effects.
Everyday choices about diet, prevention and treatment are shaped by our health beliefs. When those beliefs are not grounded in reliable evidence, they can steer people away from practices that protect health and toward alternatives that may be ineffective or harmful. This study clarifies how illusory health beliefs relate to behavior and highlights factors that reduce risk, offering actionable direction for improving health literacy and support for informed decision-making.
Key Findings:
- Pseudoscience and Risk: Stronger endorsement of illusory health ideas correlates with distrust of medical professionals and a higher tendency to pursue unvalidated therapies such as some forms of CAM.
- Protective Factors: A strong appreciation of science and an internal health locus of control — the belief that one can influence one’s own health — are associated with greater adherence to recommended behaviors and more trust in conventional healthcare.
- Health Literacy Importance: Understanding these relationships can guide public health efforts to improve communication, reduce vaccine hesitancy, encourage timely diagnoses, and support the adoption of evidence-based practices.
Study overview:
Researchers led by Andrew Denovan, supported by the BIAL Foundation, examined how illusory health beliefs relate to recommended health behaviors (such as lifestyle choices and vaccination uptake), trust in health professionals, and use of CAM. The team collected data from 1,507 participants and applied path analysis and longitudinal modelling to test predictive and mediating relationships across multiple time points.
The investigators developed and tested the Illusory Health Beliefs Scale to operationalize these misconceptions and incorporated related constructs, including health locus of control, belief in science, and belief in CAM. Results showed that illusory beliefs were associated with openness to unconventional treatments and reduced confidence in conventional care. Importantly, belief in science and an internal locus of control weakened these associations, predicting greater compliance with health recommendations and stronger trust in medical professionals. Conversely, a stronger belief in CAM amplified the link between illusory beliefs and CAM use.
The study emphasizes that while some complementary approaches can provide comfort or symptom relief in specific contexts, wholesale rejection of empirically supported care can have serious consequences, such as delayed diagnosis or vaccine hesitancy. Recognizing the role of illusory beliefs in health behavior is a first step toward targeted interventions that foster critical appraisal of health claims and encourage evidence-based choices.
About this psychology and health research news
Author: Sandra Pinto
Source: BIAL Foundation
Contact: Sandra Pinto – BIAL Foundation
Image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access. The Relationship Between Illusory Health Beliefs, Recommended Health Behaviours, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Investigation Across Multiple Time Points by Andrew Denovan et al., published in Behavioral Sciences.
Abstract (condensed):
Illusory health beliefs (IHBs) are invalid or unsupported ideas about health that can shape behaviors and treatment choices. This research evaluated a new measurement tool for IHBs and examined how these beliefs relate to adherence to recommended health behaviours, trust in healthcare professionals, and the use of CAM. Using a sample of 1,507 adults, the study incorporated health locus of control and belief in science to test pathways over time. Findings indicate that IHBs are linked to openness to unorthodox treatments and lower confidence in conventional medicine. Crucially, belief in science and an internal locus of control mitigated these effects and predicted greater adherence to evidence-based recommendations. Belief in CAM strengthened the connection between IHBs and CAM use. These results offer initial evidence for the role of illusory beliefs in health outcomes and underscore the need for further research and public education to promote informed, evidence-based decision-making.