2019
DOI: 10.1007/s11126-019-09640-5
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Cyberchondria and its Relationships with Related Constructs: a Network Analysis

Abstract: Cyberchondria denotes repeated online searches for health information that are associated with increasing levels of health anxiety. The aims of this study were to apply network analysis to investigate the extent to which cyberchondria is a distinct construct, ascertain which of the related constructs have the strongest relationships with cyberchondria and investigate whether some of the symptoms of cyberchondria are more central to the construct of cyberchondria. Questionnaires assessing the severity of cyberc… Show more

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Cited by 84 publications
(92 citation statements)
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References 43 publications
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“…With its construal of cyberchondria as a syndrome-like entity, the second approach also paves the way for potentially considering cyberchondria as a distinct construct. Indeed, the results of a study using a network analysis approach were consistent with a syndrome-like conceptualization and a relatively independent status for cyberchondria [ 6 ••]. However, this may be partly due to some circularity, as this study relied on the instrument (CSS) developed on the basis of the multidimensional conceptualization of cyberchondria.…”
Section: Conceptualization Of Cyberchondriasupporting
confidence: 62%
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“…With its construal of cyberchondria as a syndrome-like entity, the second approach also paves the way for potentially considering cyberchondria as a distinct construct. Indeed, the results of a study using a network analysis approach were consistent with a syndrome-like conceptualization and a relatively independent status for cyberchondria [ 6 ••]. However, this may be partly due to some circularity, as this study relied on the instrument (CSS) developed on the basis of the multidimensional conceptualization of cyberchondria.…”
Section: Conceptualization Of Cyberchondriasupporting
confidence: 62%
“…Furthermore, this definition implicitly gives cyberchondria a disorder-like or diagnosis-like status and emphasizes the similarities with behavioural addictions. Although the relationship between cyberchondria and problematic Internet use (PIU) as a potential behavioural addiction has been demonstrated [ 6 ••, 9 13 ], conceptualizing cyberchondria as a behavioural addiction seems premature because it reflects a more severe variant of the condition. Finally, cyberchondria may be better defined as a dimensional construct, on a continuum from a mild to severe behavioural and psychopathological pattern.…”
Section: Conceptualization Of Cyberchondriamentioning
confidence: 99%
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“…Some articles indicated cyberchondria is a new type of mental illness in the digital age. However, recent research suggests that cyberchondria is a syndrome-like construct, which is more related to a pathological health information seeking behavior than emotional distress (Starcevic et al 2019). Instead of painting a more complex picture of cyberchondria, the news articles we analyzed preferred to simplify this phenomenon as an online equivalent of health anxiety or hypochondriasis.…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Although the scientific preoccupation with this topic is only at the beginning, it seems obvious that, at the individual level, previous experience (for example, chronic illnesses or illness experiences within the family environment) and mental and emotional personality predispositions do play a decisive role [7,12,26]. According to Eichenberg [27,28], complex conditional structures are to be assumed, such as a moderating effect of health anxiety on the interrelation between Internet searching and health-related behavior [29,30].…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%