Use of Web-Based Health Services in Individuals With and Without Symptoms of Hypochondria: Survey Study

Eichenberg, Christiane; Schott, Markus

doi:10.2196/10980

Cited by 37 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Our results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic brought panic and hypochondria to the public, with just under half of the sample thinking they had the disease. Eichenberg and Schott (2019) reported that more than 40% of their Austrian participants showed at least some symptoms of hypochondria. Wolf et al (2020) reported that 24.6% said that they were “very worried” about getting coronavirus.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individuals’ Self-Reactions Toward COVID-19 Pandemic in Relation to the Awareness of the Disease, and Psychological Hardiness in Saudi Arabia

et al. 2020

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The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak around the world has caused public health concerns and changes in peoples’ behaviors and psychological distress. The pandemic impacts on human behavior, emotions, and cognition, leading to diverse reactions in relation to awareness of the disease. However, there is little understanding around the psychological impacts of the pandemic and strategies to overcome this impact. This study aimed to examine individuals’ reactions toward the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to their psychological hardiness, their degree of awareness toward the pandemic, and precautionary measures taken. Individuals living in Saudi Arabia were invited to complete an online questionnaire which included demographic items, psychological responses to the pandemic, awareness of COVID-19, and measures of psychological hardiness. A total of 1272 individuals were recruited into the study, with the majority being female (85%). Results indicated that the average psychological responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the study sample were 75.85%. This indicates that the sample generally has a high level of positive psychological responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The awareness of COVID-19 among Saudi was 91.50%. This indicates a high level of awareness among the study sample.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individuals’ Self-Reactions Toward COVID-19 Pandemic in Relation to the Awareness of the Disease, and Psychological Hardiness in Saudi Arabia

et al. 2020

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“…For further investigations in the field of cyberchondria, Eichenberg suggests that these should aim to better capture possible factors of dysfunctional handling of health-related information and not to problematize potential effects of the Internet globally [27,28]. A similar view has also been voiced by some of the general practitioners interviewed in this study.…”

Section: Strengths and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 64%

“…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%

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General practitioners’ challenges and strategies in dealing with Internet-related health anxieties—results of a qualitative study among primary care physicians in Germany

Wangler

Jansky

2020

Wien Med Wochenschr

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Summary Time and again, it is discussed that in medical practices, the number of patients who develop health anxieties due to extensive health information searches on the Internet is increasing. The objective of this study is to explore and describe general practitioners’ experiences and attitudes towards cyberchondria patients as well as strategies to stabilize affected patients. Following a qualitative approach, oral personal semi-standardized interviews with general practitioners (N = 38) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, were conducted in 2019. In the course of a content analysis, one can see that most interviewees see the emergence of Internet-related health anxieties as an increasing problem in everyday care. Affected patients not only show marked levels of doubt and nervousness as well as hypersensitivity to their own state of health, but also low confidence in the physician. In addition to compliance-related difficulties, the high need for advice and the demand for further diagnostics are regarded as major problems. Various approaches were identified by which general practitioners respond to unsettled patients (more consultation time, recommendation of reputable websites, information double-checking, expanded history questionnaire, additional psychosocial training).

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“…Online search by hypochondriacs may lead to dysfunctional health behaviors such as doctor hopping or ordering nonprescribed medicine online. [ 12 ]…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dermatology 2.0- How the Internet is Changing us, our Patients and our Practice

Mehta-Ambalal¹,

Nisarta²

2021

Indian Dermatology Online Journal

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The internet, in a short span of time relative to the history of modern medicine, has changed us doctors, our patients and our practice. This article reviews these changes and how they have occurred. The write- up was conceptualized after the authors started noticing subtle and overt differences in the consultation and treatment paths of patients who were internet savvy vs. those who were internet naïve. A survey was conducted in the clinic to understand the behavioral changes brought about by the internet among patients of clinical as well as aesthetic dermatology. It must be remembered that these changes are completely new to the practice of dermatology; even small numbers of positive replies are noteworthy. The Covid 19 pandemic has made teledermatology a requisite of the time, rather than an option. Our dependence on technology has never before been so profound. As modern-day dermatologists, we need to be updated about the interactions of dermatology and technology. We must constantly try to optimize the benefits of the internet and minimize its pitfalls. Needless to say, most of the facts mentioned here have been gleaned from the internet itself, from a wide range of sources including but not limited to medical journals, books, news reports, commercial websites and magazines.

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Use of Web-Based Health Services in Individuals With and Without Symptoms of Hypochondria: Survey Study

Cited by 37 publications

References 19 publications

Individuals’ Self-Reactions Toward COVID-19 Pandemic in Relation to the Awareness of the Disease, and Psychological Hardiness in Saudi Arabia

Individuals’ Self-Reactions Toward COVID-19 Pandemic in Relation to the Awareness of the Disease, and Psychological Hardiness in Saudi Arabia

General practitioners’ challenges and strategies in dealing with Internet-related health anxieties—results of a qualitative study among primary care physicians in Germany

Dermatology 2.0- How the Internet is Changing us, our Patients and our Practice

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