Compulsive health-related internet use and cyberchondria

Article Article scientifique Article Compulsive health-related internet use and cyberchondria eng 2020-10-29 2021 author Khazaal Yasser 0000-0002-8549-6599 author Chatton Anne 54835 author Rochat Lucien 0000-0002-9992-2720 538210 author Hede Vincent 830748 author Viswasam Kirupamani author Penzenstadler Louise Emilie 0000-0003-1379-0243 821101 Département de psychiatrie (PSYAT) author Berle David 0000-0002-4861-2220 author Starcevic Vladan 0000-0002-6772-6995 58-66 10.1159/000510922 33120393 1022-6877 PMC7845430 https://karger.com/EAR/article/doi/10.1159/000510922 Background: Cyberchondria denotes excessive and repeated online health-related searches associated with an increase in health anxiety. Such searches persist in those with cyberchondria, despite the negative consequences, resembling a pattern of compulsive Internet use. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess compulsive health-related Internet use in relation to cyberchondria while controlling for related variables. Method: Adult participants (N = 749) were recruited from an online platform. They completed questionnaires assessing the severity of cyberchondria (via the Cyberchondria Severity Scale [CSS]), compulsive Internet use adapted for online health-related seeking (via the adapted Compulsive Internet Use Scale [CIUS]), and levels of intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety, as well as depressive, somatic, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. A logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify predictors of scores above a cutoff value on the CIUS, indicating compulsive health-related Internet use. Results: The regression output showed that only the CSS total score and sex made a unique, statistically significant contribution to the model, leading to the correct classification of 78.6% of the cases. Of the CSS subscales, compulsion and distress were the most strongly associated with compulsive health-related Internet use. Conclusions: The finding that the adapted CIUS scores are associated with cyberchondria indicates that cyberchondria has a compulsive component, at least in terms of health-related Internet use. It also suggests that compulsive health-related Internet use persists despite the distress associated with this activity. Males may engage in cyberchondria more compulsively than females. These findings have implications for research and clinical practice. Compulsive Internet use Cyberchondria Health anxiety Internet addiction Dewey 616.89 Dewey 150 60 Département de psychiatrie 225 108 Section de psychologie 71 false 496 Abus de substances 834 European addiction research 27 1 20cb70b1-d0d3-4d4b-bbc8-b34101c89d0e Article (Published version) Public 000510922.pdf 276284 application/pdf CC BY-NC-4.0 1a8243a9882441d47f4930afde83f85436b68864a7b84c290905d0ae419beee0 openAccess Faculté de médecine / Section de médecine clinique / Département de psychiatrie Faculté de psychologie et des sciences de l'éducation / Section de psychologie

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