Cyberchondria and COVID-19 anxiety and internet addiction among nursing students

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between cyberchondria and COVID-19 anxiety and internet addiction in nursing students. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 843 students studying in the nursing department of Adnan Menderes University. The mean age of the students was 20.8 ± 1.72 years and 61.2% were female. The Cyberchondria Severity Scale-Short Form, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, and the Young Internet Addiction Test-Short Form were used to collect data. The study found a positive association between internet addiction, cyberchondria severity, and anxiety about COVID-19. It was found that the anxiety of COVID-19 had a mediating role in the association between internet addiction and cyberchondria severity. It was found that the use of the internet as a source of information on health problems and trusting the health information found had a significant effect on high cyberchondria levels ( p < 0.05). Taken together, the findings of previous studies and this study on the role of the association between internet addiction and cyberchondria exacerbating anxiety due to the pandemic provide further evidence for healthcare professionals that greater focus is needed on the problems of the new era related to people-internet interaction. To reduce the negative effects of the current health crisis and future health crises, interventions for nursing students to control their internet use and cyberchondria behaviors should be prioritized.

Inferiority feelings and internet addiction among Turkish University students in the context of COVID-19: The mediating role of emotion dysregulation

“…Given the comorbidity between internet addiction and other psychological problems, especially depression and anxiety (Li et al, 2019;Soulioti et al, 2018), the rise in the Internet addiction problem during the pandemic has become a topic of increased concern (Marzilli et al, 2022). Having had to abruptly adapt to a wide array of challenges related to the pandemic, such as online classes, online assessments, and isolation from peers, university students, including those in Turkey, were specifically susceptible to the pandemic's detrimental effects on psychosocial functioning (Cam et al, 2022;Fila-Witecka et al, 2022;Savage et al, 2020), and Internet addiction (Mota et al, 2021;Varer Akpinar et al, 2022).…”

Evaluation of Internet Addiction and Relational Variables Among Nursing Students in Turkey During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Internet use has provided many nursing students around the world with the opportunity to continue their education and communicate with friends and family throughout the quarantine. Despite the restrictions imposed by the quarantine process, nursing students found the entertainment and socialization they needed, thanks to the internet (Varer Akpinar et al, 2023). However, just like before the pandemic (Erbil et al, 2020; Hasan & Jaber, 2019), problematic internet use or internet addiction problems manifested themselves among nursing students during the pandemic period (Dost et al, 2021; Varer Akpinar et al, 2023).…”

“…Despite the restrictions imposed by the quarantine process, nursing students found the entertainment and socialization they needed, thanks to the internet (Varer Akpinar et al, 2023). However, just like before the pandemic (Erbil et al, 2020; Hasan & Jaber, 2019), problematic internet use or internet addiction problems manifested themselves among nursing students during the pandemic period (Dost et al, 2021; Varer Akpinar et al, 2023). Internet addiction is a condition, in which individuals have difficulty controlling their internet use and have an intense cognitive preoccupation with the internet.…”

“…On the other hand, in addition to the burden of youth, nursing students have clinical practice responsibilities such as patient care, treatment, risk management, and witnessing death (Polat et al, 2018). In addition to all these facts, during the COVID-19 epidemic, the lack of clinical experience due to the theoretical and practical courses of nursing education being online has led to various psychological problems in nursing students (Oducado & Soriano, 2021; Varer Akpinar et al, 2023). It is also known that students studying in health departments of universities, with the new health information they have acquired, interpret some findings in their bodies as signs of disease and are worried about this (Waterman & Weinman, 2014).…”

“…Health-related information obtained from online sources can further increase anxiety. This leads to increased internet usage (Varer Akpinar et al, 2023). During the pandemic period, an increase in problematic internet use was also observed among nursing students (Cai et al, 2021; Varer Akpinar et al, 2023).…”