Problematic internet use and internet searches for medical information: the role of health anxiety
Abstract
Individuals frequently use the Internet to search for medical information. For some individuals, repeated searches for medical information on the Internet exacerbate health anxiety. Researchers have termed this phenomenon "cyberchondria" and have suggested that cyberchondria might relate to the excessive use of the Internet for other purposes as well. The present study examined associations among Internet searches for medical information, health anxiety, and problematic Internet use (PIU) using a large sample of medically healthy community adults located in the United States (N=430). As predicted, respondents who experienced increased health anxiety following Internet searches for medical information reported significantly greater PIU than respondents for whom such searches either had no impact on or decreased their health anxiety. This effect was not attributable to the frequency of health-related online searching behavior or negative affect. Conceptual and therapeutic implications are discussed.
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Cyberchondria appears to be a particularly compulsive form of problematic usage of the Internet focused on health concerns.
“CYB appears to be a particularly compulsive form of PUI focused on health concerns [50,51].”
From Is cyberchondria a new transdiagnostic digital compulsive syndrome? A systematic review of the evidence (2020) · cites this paper as [51]
Individuals experiencing increased health anxiety because of health-related internet use reported significantly greater levels of problematic internet use than individuals experiencing no impact on or a decrease in health anxiety.
“Individuals experiencing increased HA because of health-related internet use reported significantly greater levels of problematic internet use (mean 25.35, SD 11.58) compared with individuals experiencing no impact on (mean 18.63, SD 10.56; Cohen d=0.61; P<.01) or a decrease in HA (mean 21.76, SD 10.43; Cohen d=0.33; P<.01).”
From Conceptualizations of cyberchondria and relations to the anxiety spectrum: Systematic review and meta-analysis (2021) · cites this paper as [30]
These group differences stayed robust even after controlling for the frequency of health-related internet use and negative affect.
“These group differences stayed robust even after controlling for the frequency of health-related internet use and negative affect.”
From Conceptualizations of cyberchondria and relations to the anxiety spectrum: Systematic review and meta-analysis (2021) · cites this paper as [30]
About one-third of individuals in general population samples stated that they felt increased anxiety after health-related internet use (31.4% [30]; 38.5% [91]).
“In addition, about one-third of individuals in general population samples stated that they felt increased anxiety after health-related internet use (31.4% [30]; 38.5% [91]).”
From Conceptualizations of cyberchondria and relations to the anxiety spectrum: Systematic review and meta-analysis (2021) · cites this paper as [30]
Fergus and Dolan stated that 40.7% of their sample experienced reduced HA after health-related internet use.
“Fergus and Dolan [30] stated that 40.7% of their sample experienced reduced HA after health-related internet use.”
From Conceptualizations of cyberchondria and relations to the anxiety spectrum: Systematic review and meta-analysis (2021) · cites this paper as [30]
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- Authors
- Fergus, T. A., & Dolan, S. L.
- Affiliations
- Baylor University (US)
- Venue
- Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2014-12
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 761-765
- ISSN
- 2152-2715 (ISSN-L)
- 2152-2723
- OpenAlex
- W2051318853
- Cited by
- 112
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 6.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Literacy and Information Accessibility
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Keywords
- problematic internet use, cyberchondria, health anxiety, excessive internet use
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Health Education, Humans, Hypochondriasis, Male, Middle Aged, Statistics as Topic, United States, Utilization Review, Behavior, Addictive, Disease Progression, Internet, Consumer Health Information, Young Adult, Health Literacy
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