Psychological Predictors of Cyberchondria: The Role of Health Anxiety and Illness Perception in Young Adults

The present study aimed to examine the relationship between cyberchondria, health anxiety, and

illness perception among young adults and to investigate the predictive role of health anxiety and

illness perception in determining cyberchondriac behavior. A quantitative, cross-sectional

correlational design was employed. The sample consisted of 240 young adults (120 males and 120

females) aged 18–25 years, selected using stratified random sampling from higher education

institutions. Data were collected using the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS), Short Health

Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), and Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ). Statistical

analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression using SPSS

software. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between cyberchondria and

health anxiety (r = 0.61, p < .01), as well as between cyberchondria and illness perception (r =

0.54, p < .01). Multiple regression analysis indicated that health anxiety and illness perception

together accounted for 47% of the variance in cyberchondria (R² = 0.47, p < .001). Health anxiety

emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by illness perception. The study demonstrates that

cyberchondria in young adults is significantly shaped by both emotional factors and cognitive

representations of illness. These findings highlight the importance of addressing health anxiety

and maladaptive illness perceptions through psychological interventions and digital health

literacy programs to reduce excessive online health information seeking behaviors in young

populations.