Relationship Between Health Anxiety and Cyberchondria Among Patients Attending a Family Medicine Clinic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aim: Health anxiety and cyberchondria may influence healthcare-seeking behavior and contribute to unnecessary healthcare use. This study evaluated health anxiety and cyberchondria levels among patients attending a family medicine outpatient clinic and examined the relationship between these constructs. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study included 370 patients aged 18–65 years, recruited by convenience sampling from the Family Medicine Clinic at Bilkent City Hospital between March 19 and June 10, 2025. Patients completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Health Anxiety Scale, and the Cyberchondria Severity Scale-12. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0; p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age was 38.73±12.42 years, and 64.6% of patients were female. Mean total Health Anxiety Scale and Cyberchondria Severity Scale-12 scores were 14.23±7.22 and 27.34±8.57, respectively. Cyberchondria Severity Scale-12 scores showed a moderate positive correlation with total Health Anxiety Scale scores. Conclusion: Health anxiety and cyberchondria were positively associated in patients attending family medicine clinics. Recognizing health-related anxiety and excessive online health information seeking may help family physicians provide targeted counseling, correct misinformation, and arrange appropriate referral when needed.