Examining the Relationship Between Cyberchondria and Health Anxiety in Clinical Medical Students

Introduction Cyberchondria refers to the phenomenon where individuals experience increased health anxiety due to excessive health-related information-seeking on the internet. This behavior can lead to increased worry, symptom misinterpretation, and the belief that one may be suffering from a serious illness. While internet health-seeking is common, it can become maladaptive and contribute to clinically significant anxiety. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of cyberchondria among medical students, and to explore the relationship between online health-seeking behaviors and health anxiety. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among clinical medical students using the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS) and the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI-18). The CSS is a 12-item self-report questionnaire that assesses the frequency of online health searches, the distress caused by those searches, and the misinterpretation of symptoms. The HAI-18 evaluates the frequency and intensity of health-related worries and behaviors over the past six months. Participants were asked to report their online health-searching habits, emotional responses, and overall health anxiety levels. Results A total of 169 clinical students participated in the study, with a predominance of females (74%). The mean age of participants was 23 ± 1.5 years. Regarding family medical history, 62.1% of participants reported a familial history of medical conditions, while 26% had a familial history of psychiatric disorders. Additionally, 39.6% of participants reported that their family members had been hospitalized for a serious illness. A personal medical history was reported by 23.7% of participants, and 21.3% had a documented history of psychiatric disorders. Health-related anxiety was observed in 21.9% of participants and was significantly associated with a history of family member hospitalization for a serious illness (p < 0.05). Regarding cyberchondria, 35.5% of participants reported low levels, 43.2% moderate levels, 20.1% high levels, and 1.2% very high levels. High levels of cyberchondria were significantly associated with higher health anxiety scores (p < 0.001). Conclusions The findings suggest a moderate to high prevalence of cyberchondria among clinical medical students, with a strong association between higher cyberchondria scores and increased health-related anxiety. Interventions to reduce cyberchondria should focus on managing health anxiety and mitigating the negative impact of online health information Disclosure of Interest None Declared