Cyberchondria: A Review

• Main Authors: Ali Erdoğan, Çiçek Hocaoğlu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar 2020-12-01
• Series: Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar
• Subjects: cyberchondria; health anxiety; internet
• Online Access: http://psikguncel.org/archives/vol12/no4/cap_12_04_01_en.pdf

Internet has become an important source of health information that enables people to access a large portion of medical information. Cyberchondria is defined as behavior seeking information about health from the Internet. It can be mentioned as an internet-mediated version of hypochondriasis. It is emphasized that health anxiety is at the forefront in the etiology. Information pollution on the Internet is an important risk factor. There are no diagnostic criteria. It is not included in the DSM classification. Although there are various assessment scales, the most commonly used assessment tool is the Cyberchondria Severty Scale. It is a psychometric scale with 34 questions to measure the level of cyberchondria. Psychoeducation is the main approach in the treatment and no specific pharmacological treatment has been defined.