Health anxiety and death anxiety: The role of cyberchondria and social aspirations

This research examined the relation between health anxiety and death anxiety. The mediating role of cyberchondria and the moderating role of social aspirations were also explored. The sample included 405 participants, 67% women, between 18 and 38 years old (<i>M</i>_age = 21.12, SD = 3.32). Two dimensions of health anxiety (the likelihood of an illness and severity of an illness) had a significant positive relation with death anxiety. Cyberchondria had a positive relation with death anxiety, while motivation for a high social class had a non-significant relation with death anxiety. Further, cyberchondria mediated the relation between health anxiety and death anxiety. Moreover, when motivation for social class was high, high body vigilance was associated with a low level of death anxiety. The implications of the obtained results for the relief of death anxiety, when the participants present health anxiety and cyberchondria, are discussed, taking into account the level of social aspirations.