Cited by 179Health Literacy and Information AccessibilityAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesCOVID-19 and Mental Health

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The CSS-12: Development and Validation of a Short-Form Version of the Cyberchondria Severity Scale

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McElroy, Eoin, Kearney, Mathew, Touhey, Jade, Evans, Joseph, Cooke, Yasmin, Shevlin, Mark·2019·Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking

DOI 10.1089/cyber.2018.0624

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Abstract

Abstract Cyberchondria is defined as an increase in anxiety about one's health status as a result of excessive online searches. McElroy and Shevlin (2014) developed the first multidimensional, self-report measure of this construct–the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS). The CSS consists of 33 items which can be summed to form a total score, and/or 5 subscale scores. The aim of the present study was to develop a short-form version of the CSS, removing the “Mistrust” subscale. Participants were undergraduate students from two UK universities ( N = 661, 73% female, M age = 22.19 years, SD = 5.88). Students completed the CSS, Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7). Twelve items were chosen for retention in the short form based on an exploratory factor analysis. These items corresponded to the four factors previously identified in the 33-item scale (minus the “Mistrust” subscale). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the structure of the CSS-12. Confirmatory bifactor modeling indicated that the majority of item covariance was accounted for by a general cyberchondria factor. Construct validity was assessed by examining associations with the SHAI and GAD-7, with stronger correlations observed between the CSS-12 and the SHAI (compared with the GAD-7). The CSS-12 is a brief, reliable, and valid measure of worry/anxiety attributable to excessive online health research.

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Authors: McElroy, E., Kearney, M., Touhey, J., Evans, J., Cooke, Y., & Shevlin, M.
Affiliations: University of Liverpool (GB)
University of Ulster (GB)
Corresponding author: McElroy, Eoin
ORCID: McElroy, Eoin
Touhey, Jade
Shevlin, Mark
Venue: Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2019-05
Volume: 22
Issue: 5
Pages: 330-335
ISSN: 2152-2715 (ISSN-L)
2152-2723
DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2018.0624
OpenAlex: W2941943387
Cited by: 179
References: 41
Citations by year: 2026: 39 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 1
FWCI: 19.08
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
pure.ulster.ac.uk
Licence: other-oa
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Ulster University Research Portal (Ulster University) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Topics: Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Literacy and Information Accessibility
Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
Keywords: cyberchondria, Cyberchondria Severity Scale, short-form scale development, online health information seeking, health anxiety, bifactor model, construct validity, Short Health Anxiety Inventory, generalized anxiety disorder
MeSH terms: Anxiety, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Female, Humans, Hypochondriasis, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychometrics, Surveys and Questionnaires, Students, Universities, Reproducibility of Results, Internet, Young Adult, Self Report, Diagnostic Self Evaluation

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The CSS-12: Development and Validation of a Short-Form Version of the Cyberchondria Severity Scale

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