The DOI matches its Crossref record; 45 of the 45 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Cyberchondriasis: Fact or fiction? A preliminary examination of the relationship between health anxiety and searching for health information on the Internet
Open accessAbstract
This study examined the relationship between health anxiety and searching for health information online, a phenomenon dubbed 'cyberchondria'. The majority of those with 'high' (n=46) and 'low' (n=36) levels of health anxiety reported seeking health information online. However, those with higher levels of health anxiety sought online health information more frequently, spent longer searching, and found searching more distressing and anxiety provoking. Furthermore, more responses in the high than low health anxiety group related to searching for information on diagnosed and undiagnosed medical conditions, descriptions of others' experiences of illnesses and using message boards/support groups, although the largest proportion of responses in both groups was accounted for by seeking information on symptoms. Linear regression (n=167) revealed significant relationships between health anxiety and the frequency, duration and distress and anxiety associated with searching for health information online. This preliminary data suggests that searching for health information online may exacerbate health anxiety.
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“Moreover, self-esteem was also found to predict CYB indirectly, through increased health anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms.”
From Is cyberchondria a new transdiagnostic digital compulsive syndrome? A systematic review of the evidence (2020) · cites this paper as [46]
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“This finding builds on previous work reporting that cyberchondria is closely linked to health anxiety [3, 7-9, 19, 21, 22]”
From What are the Implications of Excessive Internet Searches for Medical Information by Orthopaedic Patients? (2019) · cites this paper as [21]
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“Cyberchondria and intolerance of uncertainty have been shown to be associated with health anxiety [3, 7-10, 19, 21, 22, 34]”
From What are the Implications of Excessive Internet Searches for Medical Information by Orthopaedic Patients? (2019) · cites this paper as [21]
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In the citing paper
“These findings suggest that low self-esteem may represent a vulnerability factor for CYB [46].”
From Is cyberchondria a new transdiagnostic digital compulsive syndrome? A systematic review of the evidence (2020) · cites this paper as [46]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe check wasn’t confident either way, so it gives no verdict — never disputed.
In the citing paper
“Bajcar and Babiak [46] found a direct association between low selfesteem and higher severity of CYB (measured with the CSS).”
From Is cyberchondria a new transdiagnostic digital compulsive syndrome? A systematic review of the evidence (2020) · cites this paper as [46]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
The check wasn’t confident either way, so it gives no verdict — never disputed.
In the citing paper
“Cyberchondria and intolerance of uncertainty have been shown to be associated with health anxiety [3, 7-10, 19, 21, 22, 34]”
From What are the Implications of Excessive Internet Searches for Medical Information by Orthopaedic Patients? (2019) · cites this paper as [21]
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Citations
Cites
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
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Widiger, T. A. (2000) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1037/10518-009 · Cited by 19,766
SALKOVSKIS, P. M., RIMES, K. A., WARWICK, H. M. C., & CLARK, D. M. (2002) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291702005822 · Cited by 1,351
Frontiers of cognitive therapy
Thase, M. E. (1997) · General Hospital Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s0163-8343(97)00044-3 · Cited by 1,062
Patients’ use of the internet for medical information
Diaz, J. A., Griffith, R. A., Ng, J. J., Reinert, S. E., Friedmann, P. D., & Moulton, A. W. (2002) · Journal of General Internal Medicine · doi:10.1046/j.1525-1497.2002.10603.x · Cited by 1,032
The importance of behaviour in the maintenance of anxiety and panic: A cognitive account
Salkovskis, P. M. (1991) · Behavioural Psychotherapy · doi:10.1017/s0141347300011472 · Cited by 780
How Internet Users Find, Evaluate, and Use Online Health Information: A Cross-Cultural Review
Morahan-Martin, J. M. (2004) · CyberPsychology & Behavior · doi:10.1089/cpb.2004.7.497 · Cited by 778
Rice, R. E. (2005) · International Journal of Medical Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2005.07.032 · Cited by 721
Frontiers of Cognitive Therapy
Salkovskis, P. M. (1997) · Cited by 589
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Privacy management in LLM-based self-diagnosis: a cross-cultural study across 25 countries
Zhu, G., Zhang, Y., & Zhang, D. (2026) · Telematics and Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.tele.2026.102465
Erkılıç, T. O., Bayraktar, B., & Taşci, S. Ç. (2026) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs16101759
Metadata
- Authors
- Muse, K., McManus, F., Leung, C., Meghreblian, B., & Williams, J. M. G.
- Affiliations
- Warneford Hospital (GB)
- Corresponding author
- McManus, Freda
- Venue
- Journal of Anxiety Disorders
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-01
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 189-196
- ISSN
- 0887-6185 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2109943853
- Cited by
- 303
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 24 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 37 · 2022: 39 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 16.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- orcid.org
- Locations
- Journal of Anxiety Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Repository (University of Gloucestershire) (acceptedVersion)
- Research Repository (University of Gloucestershire) (submittedVersion)
- Worcester Research and Publications (University of Worcester) (submittedVersion)
- ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (GR 067797)
- Lupina Foundation
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Literacy and Information Accessibility
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- health anxiety, online health information seeking, online search behavior, symptom checking, online support groups, online forums
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety, Female, Humans, Hypochondriasis, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Male, Surveys and Questionnaires, Internet, Information Seeking Behavior
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