Cyberchondria and quality of life in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder: A cross-sectional assessment from a tertiary center
Abstract
Aim: Cyberchondria refers to excessive internet searches for medical knowledge. Studies evaluating cyberchondria in the psychiatric clinical population are scarce. We aimed to investigate the relationship between cyberchondria and general anxiety, health anxiety, and quality of life scores of patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Materials and Methods: Sociodemographic, clinical, and internet use-related data of the patients who applied to the psychiatric outpatient clinic of a university hospital were collected. Sixty-one patients with anxiety disorders (n = 34), obsessive-compulsive disorder (n = 22), or both were included. Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS), Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3), Health Anxiety Inventory Short Version (SHAI), Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire (ASA), and Short Form 36 (SF-36) were applied.
Results: Most visited websites were social media (86.9%), more than half of the participants did online research about psychiatric disorders, half of those felt relief, and 10% changed or stopped their medication after online searches. CSS scores were associated with SHAI (p = .007), HARS (p = .022), absence of psychiatric comorbidity (p = .005), and average time spent on the internet per day (p < .001) in regression analysis. SF-36 social functioning scores were negatively correlated with CSS scores (r = -.276, p = .036). Anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder patients did not differ significantly in terms of CSS scores (p = .650, t = .457).
Conclusion: Considering the increasing digitalization and internet use, research is needed to navigate the development of appropriate interventions by examining the concept of cyberchondria and its relationship with mental disorders.
References
- Vismara M, Caricasole V, Starcevic V, Cinosi E, Dell’Osso B, Martinotti G, et al. Is cyberchondria a new transdiagnostic digital compulsive syndrome? A systematic review of the evidence. Compr Psychiatry 2020;99:152167.
- Schenkel SK, Jungmann SM, Gropalis M, Witthoft M. Conceptualizations of cyberchondria and relations to the anxiety Spectrum: Systematic review and meta-analysis. J Med Internet Res 2021;23(11):e27835.
- Berle D, Starcevic V, Khazaal Y, Viswasam K, Hede V, McMullan RD. Relationships between online health information seeking and psychopathology. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2020;62:96–7.
- Starcevic V, Berle D, Arnaez S. Recent insights into cyberchondria. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2020;22(11):56.
- Blackburn J, Fischerauer SF, Talaei-Khoei M, Chen NC, Oh LS, Vranceanu A-M. What are the implications of excessive internet searches for medical information by orthopaedic patients? Clin Orthop Relat Res 2019;477(12):2665–73.
- Pawar P, Kamat A, Salimath G, Jacob KR, Kamath R. Prevalence of cyberchondria among outpatients with metabolic syndrome in a tertiary care hospital in southern India. Sci World J 2022;3211501.
- Newby JM, McElroy E. The impact of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for health anxiety on cyberchondria. J Anxiety Disord 2020;69:102150.
- Vismara M, Benatti B, Ferrara L, Colombo A, Bosi M, Varinelli A, et al. A preliminary investigation of cyberchondria and its correlates in a clinical sample of patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder, anxiety and depressive disorders attending a tertiary psychiatric clinic. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 2022;26(2):111–22.
- Hamilton M. The assessment of anxiety states by rating. Br J Med Psychol 1959;(32):50–5.
- Yazici MK, Demir B, Tanriverdi N, Karaagaoglu E, Yolac P. Hamilton anxiety rating scale: Interrater reliability and validity study. Turk Psikiyatr Derg 1998;9(2):114-7.
- Fergus TA. The Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS): an examination of structure and relations with health anxiety in a community sample. J Anxiety Disord 2014;28(6):504–10.
- Starcevic V, Baggio S, Berle D, Khazaal Y, Viswasam K. Cyberchondria and its relationships with related constructs: A network analysis. Psychiatr Q 2019;90(3):491–505.
- Uzun SU, Zencir M. Reliability and validity study of the Turkish version of cyberchondria severity scale. Curr Psychol 2021;40(1):65–71.
- Norr AM, Allan NP, Boffa JW, Raines AM, Schmidt NB. Validation of the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS): Replication and extension with bifactor modeling. J Anxiety Disord 2015;31:58–64.
- Salkovskis PM, Rimes KA, Warwick HMC, Clark DM. The Health Anxiety Inventory: development and validation of scales for the measurement of health anxiety and hypochondriasis. Psychol Med 2002;32(5):843–53.
- Taylor S, Zvolensky MJ, Cox BJ, Deacon B, Heimberg RG, Ledley DR, et al. Robust dimensions of anxiety sensitivity: development and initial validation of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3. Psychol Assess 2007;19(2):176–88.
- Manicavasagar V, Silove D, Wagner R, Drobny J. A self-report questionnaire for measuring separation anxiety in adulthood. Compr Psychiatry 2003;44(2):146–53.
- Ware JEJ, Sherbourne CD. The MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) conceptual framework and item selection. Med Care 1992;30(6):473–83.
- Aydemir O, Kirpinar I, Sati T, Uykur B, Cengisiz C. Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the health anxiety inventory. Noropsikiyatri Ars 2013;50(4):325–31.
- Dirioz M, Alkin T, Yemez B, Eminagaoglu N, Onur E. Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the structured clinical interview for separation anxiety symptoms. Noropsikiyatri Ars 2012;49(1):6–13.
- Kocyigit H, Aydemir O, Fisek G, Olmez N, Memis A. Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of Short Form-36 (SF-36). Ilac ve Tedavi Derg 1999;12:102–6.
- Mantar A, Yemez B, Alkin T. The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the anxiety sensitivity index-3. Turk Psikiyatr Derg 2010;21(3):225-34.
- Fergus TA, Russell LH. Does cyberchondria overlap with health anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms? An examination of latent structure and scale interrelations. J Anxiety Disord 2016;38:88–94.
- McElroy E, Shevlin M. The development and initial validation of the cyberchondria severity scale (CSS). J Anxiety Disord 2014;28(2):259–65.
- Mathes BM, Norr AM, Allan NP, Albanese BJ, Schmidt NB. Cyberchondria: Overlap with health anxiety and unique relations with impairment, quality of life, and service utilization. Psychiatry Res 2018;261:204–11.
- Gibler RC, Jastrowski Mano KE, O’Bryan EM, Beadel JR, McLeish AC. The role of pain catastrophizing in cyberchondria among emerging adults. Psychol Health Med 2019;24(10):1267–76.
- Zavorotnyy M, Ehrlich F, Nenadic I. Health-related internet use and treatment adherence: A transdiagnostic comparison of outpatients with major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. PsyCh J 2020;9(2):174–84.
- Kalckreuth S, Trefflich F, Rummel-Kluge C. Mental health related Internet use among psychiatric patients: A cross-sectional analysis. BMC Psychiatry 2014;14(1):1–11.
- Starcevic V, Schimmenti A, Billieux J, Berle D. Cyberchondria in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hum Behav Emerg Technol 2021;3(1):53–62.
- Jungmann SM, Witthoft M. Health anxiety, cyberchondria, and coping in the current COVID-19 pandemic: Which factors are related to coronavirus anxiety? J Anxiety Disord 2020;73:102239.
- Vismara M, Vitella D, Biolcati R, Ambrosini F, Pirola V, Dell’Osso B, et al. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on searching for health-related information and cyberchondria on the general population in Italy. Front Psychiatry 2021;12:1–13.
Anksiyete ve obsesif kompulsif bozuklukta siberkondri ve yaşam kalitesi: bir üniversite kliniğinden kesitsel bir değerlendirme
Abstract
Amaç: Siberkondri, tıbbi bilgiye erişim amacıyla yapılan aşırı düzeyde internet araması anlamına gelir. Psikiyatrik klinik popülasyonda siberkondriyi değerlendiren çalışmalar az sayıdadır. Çalışmamızda anksiyete bozukluğu veya obsesif kompulsif bozukluk tanısı alan hastalarda siberkondri düzeyleri ile anksiyete, sağlık anksiyetesi ve yaşam kalitesi puanları arasındaki ilişkiyi araştırmayı amaçladık.
Gereç ve Yöntem: Bir üniversite hastanesinin psikiyatri polikliniğine başvuran hastaların sosyodemografik, klinik ve internet kullanımına ilişkin verileri toplandı. Anksiyete bozukluğu (n = 34), obsesif kompulsif bozukluk (n = 22) veya her iki tanının birlikte görüldüğü toplam 61 hasta çalışmaya dahil edildi. Katılımcılara Hamilton Anksiyete Değerlendirme Ölçeği (HADÖ), Siberkondri Ciddiyet Ölçeği (SCÖ), Anksiyete Duyarlılığı İndeksi 3 (ASİ-3), Sağlık Anksiyetesi Ölçeği Kısa Formu (SAÖ-KF), Yetişkin Ayrılma Anksiyetesi Anketi (YAAA) ve Kısa Form 36 (SF-36) uygulandı.
Bulgular: En çok ziyaret edilen websitelerinin sosyal medya (%86,9) olduğu, katılımcıların yarısından fazlasının psikiyatrik bozukluklarla ilgili çevrim içi araştırma yapmış olduğu, araştırma sonrasında yarısının rahatlama hissi yaşadığı ve %10'unun çevrim içi aramalar sonrasında ilaçlarını değiştirmiş veya bırakmış olduğu saptandı. Regresyon analizinde SCÖ puanları SAÖ-KF (p = .007), HADÖ (p = .022), psikiyatrik komorbiditenin olmaması (p = .005) ve günlük internette geçirilen ortalama süre (p < .001) ile ilişkiliydi. SF-36 sosyal işlevsellik puanları ile SCÖ puanları arasında negatif korelasyon görüldü (r = -.276, p = .036). Anksiyete bozuklukları ve obsesif-kompulsif bozukluk tanı grupları arasında SCÖ puanları açısından anlamlı bir fark bulunmadı (p = .650, t = .457).
Sonuç: Artan dijitalleşme ve internet kullanımı göz önüne alındığında, siberkondri kavramını ve bunun psikiyatrik hastalıklarla ilişkisini inceleyerek uygun müdahalelerin geliştirilmesine yön verecek araştırmalara ihtiyaç vardır.
Keywords
Siberkondri internet kullanımı anksiyete bozuklukları obsesif kompulsif bozukluk yaşam kalitesi
References
- Vismara M, Caricasole V, Starcevic V, Cinosi E, Dell’Osso B, Martinotti G, et al. Is cyberchondria a new transdiagnostic digital compulsive syndrome? A systematic review of the evidence. Compr Psychiatry 2020;99:152167.
- Schenkel SK, Jungmann SM, Gropalis M, Witthoft M. Conceptualizations of cyberchondria and relations to the anxiety Spectrum: Systematic review and meta-analysis. J Med Internet Res 2021;23(11):e27835.
- Berle D, Starcevic V, Khazaal Y, Viswasam K, Hede V, McMullan RD. Relationships between online health information seeking and psychopathology. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2020;62:96–7.
- Starcevic V, Berle D, Arnaez S. Recent insights into cyberchondria. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2020;22(11):56.
- Blackburn J, Fischerauer SF, Talaei-Khoei M, Chen NC, Oh LS, Vranceanu A-M. What are the implications of excessive internet searches for medical information by orthopaedic patients? Clin Orthop Relat Res 2019;477(12):2665–73.
- Pawar P, Kamat A, Salimath G, Jacob KR, Kamath R. Prevalence of cyberchondria among outpatients with metabolic syndrome in a tertiary care hospital in southern India. Sci World J 2022;3211501.
- Newby JM, McElroy E. The impact of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for health anxiety on cyberchondria. J Anxiety Disord 2020;69:102150.
- Vismara M, Benatti B, Ferrara L, Colombo A, Bosi M, Varinelli A, et al. A preliminary investigation of cyberchondria and its correlates in a clinical sample of patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder, anxiety and depressive disorders attending a tertiary psychiatric clinic. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 2022;26(2):111–22.
- Hamilton M. The assessment of anxiety states by rating. Br J Med Psychol 1959;(32):50–5.
- Yazici MK, Demir B, Tanriverdi N, Karaagaoglu E, Yolac P. Hamilton anxiety rating scale: Interrater reliability and validity study. Turk Psikiyatr Derg 1998;9(2):114-7.
- Fergus TA. The Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS): an examination of structure and relations with health anxiety in a community sample. J Anxiety Disord 2014;28(6):504–10.
- Starcevic V, Baggio S, Berle D, Khazaal Y, Viswasam K. Cyberchondria and its relationships with related constructs: A network analysis. Psychiatr Q 2019;90(3):491–505.
- Uzun SU, Zencir M. Reliability and validity study of the Turkish version of cyberchondria severity scale. Curr Psychol 2021;40(1):65–71.
- Norr AM, Allan NP, Boffa JW, Raines AM, Schmidt NB. Validation of the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS): Replication and extension with bifactor modeling. J Anxiety Disord 2015;31:58–64.
- Salkovskis PM, Rimes KA, Warwick HMC, Clark DM. The Health Anxiety Inventory: development and validation of scales for the measurement of health anxiety and hypochondriasis. Psychol Med 2002;32(5):843–53.
- Taylor S, Zvolensky MJ, Cox BJ, Deacon B, Heimberg RG, Ledley DR, et al. Robust dimensions of anxiety sensitivity: development and initial validation of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3. Psychol Assess 2007;19(2):176–88.
- Manicavasagar V, Silove D, Wagner R, Drobny J. A self-report questionnaire for measuring separation anxiety in adulthood. Compr Psychiatry 2003;44(2):146–53.
- Ware JEJ, Sherbourne CD. The MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) conceptual framework and item selection. Med Care 1992;30(6):473–83.
- Aydemir O, Kirpinar I, Sati T, Uykur B, Cengisiz C. Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the health anxiety inventory. Noropsikiyatri Ars 2013;50(4):325–31.
- Dirioz M, Alkin T, Yemez B, Eminagaoglu N, Onur E. Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the structured clinical interview for separation anxiety symptoms. Noropsikiyatri Ars 2012;49(1):6–13.
- Kocyigit H, Aydemir O, Fisek G, Olmez N, Memis A. Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of Short Form-36 (SF-36). Ilac ve Tedavi Derg 1999;12:102–6.
- Mantar A, Yemez B, Alkin T. The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the anxiety sensitivity index-3. Turk Psikiyatr Derg 2010;21(3):225-34.
- Fergus TA, Russell LH. Does cyberchondria overlap with health anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms? An examination of latent structure and scale interrelations. J Anxiety Disord 2016;38:88–94.
- McElroy E, Shevlin M. The development and initial validation of the cyberchondria severity scale (CSS). J Anxiety Disord 2014;28(2):259–65.
- Mathes BM, Norr AM, Allan NP, Albanese BJ, Schmidt NB. Cyberchondria: Overlap with health anxiety and unique relations with impairment, quality of life, and service utilization. Psychiatry Res 2018;261:204–11.
- Gibler RC, Jastrowski Mano KE, O’Bryan EM, Beadel JR, McLeish AC. The role of pain catastrophizing in cyberchondria among emerging adults. Psychol Health Med 2019;24(10):1267–76.
- Zavorotnyy M, Ehrlich F, Nenadic I. Health-related internet use and treatment adherence: A transdiagnostic comparison of outpatients with major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. PsyCh J 2020;9(2):174–84.
- Kalckreuth S, Trefflich F, Rummel-Kluge C. Mental health related Internet use among psychiatric patients: A cross-sectional analysis. BMC Psychiatry 2014;14(1):1–11.
- Starcevic V, Schimmenti A, Billieux J, Berle D. Cyberchondria in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hum Behav Emerg Technol 2021;3(1):53–62.
- Jungmann SM, Witthoft M. Health anxiety, cyberchondria, and coping in the current COVID-19 pandemic: Which factors are related to coronavirus anxiety? J Anxiety Disord 2020;73:102239.
- Vismara M, Vitella D, Biolcati R, Ambrosini F, Pirola V, Dell’Osso B, et al. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on searching for health-related information and cyberchondria on the general population in Italy. Front Psychiatry 2021;12:1–13.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Psychiatry |
| Journal Section | Research Articles |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | June 10, 2025 |
| Submission Date | February 6, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | February 24, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025Volume: 64 Issue: 2 |
