Unveiling the relationships between cyberchondria and psychopathological symptoms.

Arsenakis, S; Chatton, A; Penzenstadler, L; Billieux, J; Berle, D; Starcevic, V; Viswasam, K; Khazaal, Y

Unveiling the relationships between cyberchondria and psychopathological symptoms.

Arsenakis, S Chatton, A Penzenstadler, L Billieux, J Berle, D

Starcevic, V Viswasam, K Khazaal, Y

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Publisher:: Elsevier BV
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: J Psychiatr Res, 2021, 143, pp. 254-261
Issue Date:: 2021-11

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Arsenakis, S
dc.contributor.author	Chatton, A
dc.contributor.author	Penzenstadler, L
dc.contributor.author	Billieux, J
dc.contributor.author	Berle, D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4861-2220
dc.contributor.author	Starcevic, V
dc.contributor.author	Viswasam, K
dc.contributor.author	Khazaal, Y
dc.date.accessioned	2022-01-23T22:39:21Z
dc.date.available	2021-09-01
dc.date.available	2022-01-23T22:39:21Z
dc.date.issued	2021-11
dc.identifier.citation	J Psychiatr Res, 2021, 143, pp. 254-261
dc.identifier.issn	0022-3956
dc.identifier.issn	1879-1379
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/153459
dc.description.abstract	Cyberchondria is a clinical entity of excessive and repetitive online health-related searches, associated with health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and intolerance of uncertainty. Its relationships with depressive and somatic symptoms have not yet received much attention. The purpose of this study was to examine the individual and comparative effects of several psychopathology constructs on the severity of cyberchondria. Through an online platform, participants (N = 749) completed specific self-report measures assessing the severity of cyberchondria, anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, depressive, somatic, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Standard and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to assess how well the independent variables influenced the levels of cyberchondria, before and after controlling for age, education, and sex. When measures of all constructs were included in the analysis, all were significant predictors of cyberchondria levels, except for anxiety. Health anxiety made the strongest contribution. When age, education and sex were controlled for, all measures except for anxiety were also significant predictors of cyberchondria severity. Our study confirms that health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and intolerance of uncertainty are all associated with cyberchondria severity, with health anxiety making the strongest unique contribution. Depression and somatic symptoms also predicted cyberchondria severity. These findings have important implications for research and clinical practice.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Elsevier BV
dc.relation.ispartof	J Psychiatr Res
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.09.014
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	11 Medical and Health Sciences, 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Psychiatry
dc.subject.mesh	Anxiety
dc.subject.mesh	Anxiety Disorders
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Hypochondriasis
dc.subject.mesh	Internet
dc.subject.mesh	Self Report
dc.subject.mesh	Uncertainty
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Uncertainty
dc.subject.mesh	Anxiety
dc.subject.mesh	Anxiety Disorders
dc.subject.mesh	Hypochondriasis
dc.subject.mesh	Internet
dc.subject.mesh	Self Report
dc.title	Unveiling the relationships between cyberchondria and psychopathological symptoms.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	143
utslib.location.activity	England
utslib.for	11 Medical and Health Sciences
utslib.for	17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Graduate School of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Graduate School of Health/GSH.Clinical Psychology
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2022-01-23T22:39:20Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	143

Abstract:

Cyberchondria is a clinical entity of excessive and repetitive online health-related searches, associated with health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and intolerance of uncertainty. Its relationships with depressive and somatic symptoms have not yet received much attention. The purpose of this study was to examine the individual and comparative effects of several psychopathology constructs on the severity of cyberchondria. Through an online platform, participants (N = 749) completed specific self-report measures assessing the severity of cyberchondria, anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, depressive, somatic, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Standard and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to assess how well the independent variables influenced the levels of cyberchondria, before and after controlling for age, education, and sex. When measures of all constructs were included in the analysis, all were significant predictors of cyberchondria levels, except for anxiety. Health anxiety made the strongest contribution. When age, education and sex were controlled for, all measures except for anxiety were also significant predictors of cyberchondria severity. Our study confirms that health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and intolerance of uncertainty are all associated with cyberchondria severity, with health anxiety making the strongest unique contribution. Depression and somatic symptoms also predicted cyberchondria severity. These findings have important implications for research and clinical practice.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/153459