Most said they fear being judged or lectured. They also tend to stay quiet when they disagree with the doctor’s recommendations ... Of course, individual patients are free to set their own ...

and can spell a mental health problem for those who suffer a clinical fear of their doctor. The condition can manifest itself as general anxiety or, in more extreme cases, outright panic.

A number of people have extreme anxiety about going to the doctor. The fear of doctors, known as iatrophobia, is often strong enough to provoke “white coat syndrome,” in which normally healthy ...