Health Anxiety in Medically Vulnerable Canadians During Covid-19

Covid-19 has increased health anxiety (HA), especially among medically vulnerable groups. We examined HA trends and related factors across these groups in Canada. Using COVID Survey Canada data (PI: El-Gabalawy; N = 1,260), we assessed HA from May 2020–July 2021 using the Short Health Anxiety Inventory. Linear mixed-effects models and descriptive statistics evaluated changes and correlates. Medically vulnerable individuals showed higher HA, except older adults, who showed lower levels. HA declined non-significantly over the year in all groups. Among the medically vulnerable, clinically elevated HA was linked to greater findings that highlight elevated HA and inform prevention strategies.