Role of Anxiety Sensitivity, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Cyberchondria Behaviors among Individuals Diagnosed with COVID-19

Role of Anxiety Sensitivity and Cyberchondria Behaviors

Authors

  • Nudrat Rashid Department of Applied Psychology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
  • Amna Shahid Department of Applied Psychology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
  • Mehwish Munir Department of Applied Psychology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
  • Muhammad Umar Khan Department of Applied Psychology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
  • Zoobia Ramzan Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Ojha Campus, Karachi, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54393/pjhs.v4i12.1173

Keywords:

Cyberchondria, Anxiety Sensitivity, COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic was a quick outbreak that affected individuals’ mental health. Objective: To investigate the relationship between anxiety sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, and cyberchondria tendencies among individuals with and without COVID-19. Methods: A total of 411 COVID-19 individuals, including 185 men (45%) and 226 women (55%) from low, middle, and high socioeconomic statuses (103 men (25.1%), 155 men (37.7%), and 153 men (37.2%)) were recruited. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 30. Data were collected from different public sector hospitals and a public sector university of Faisalabad. We calculated the results through SPSS version 27. Results: The findings showed a significant positive association between cyberchondria tendencies and anxiety sensitivity (r = 0.61, p.001) and intolerance for uncertainty (r = 0.64, p.001). Moreover, significant differences were observed in the variable of anxiety sensitivity (t =-10.40, p.001), intolerance of uncertainty (t = -5.89, p.001), and cyberchondria tendency (t =-6.08, p.001) between individual diagnosed with and without COVID-19. Conclusions: It is concluded that there is a significant relationship of anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty with cyberchondria tendencies and significant differences were found between gender and individuals diagnosed with and without COVID-19

References

Starcevic V and Berle D. Cyberchondria: towards a better understanding of excessive health-related Internet use. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 2013 Feb; 13(2): 205–13. doi: 10.1586/ern.12.162. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1586/ern.12.162

McElroy E and Shevlin M. The development and initial validation of the cyberchondria severity scale (CSS). Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 2014 Mar; 28(2): 259–65. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.12.007. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.12.007

Thompson RR, Jones NM, Holman EA, Silver RC. Media exposure to mass violence events can fuel a cycle of distress. Science Advances. 2019 Apr; 5(4): eaav3502. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aav3502. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aav3502

Garfin DR, Silver RC, Holman EA. The novel coronavirus (COVID-2019) outbreak: Amplification of public health consequences by media exposure. Health Psychology. 2020; 39(5): 355–7. doi: 10.1037/hea0000875. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000875

Laato S, Islam AKMN, Islam MN, Whelan E. What drives unverified information sharing and cyberchondria during the COVID-19 pandemic? European Journal of Information Systems. 2020 May; 29(3): 288–305. doi: 10.1080/0960085X.2020.1770632. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0960085X.2020.1770632

Abel T and McQueen D. The COVID-19 pandemic calls for spatial distancing and social closeness: not for social distancing! International Journal of Public Health. 2020 Apr; 65(3): 231–231. doi: 10.1007/s00038-020-01366-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-020-01366-7

Makarla S, Gopichandran V, Tondare D. Prevalence and correlates of cyberchondria among professionals working in the information technology sector in Chennai, India: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Postgraduate Medicine. 2019 Apr; 65(2): 87–92.

Akhtar M and Fatima T. Exploring cyberchondria and worry about health among individuals with no diagnosed medical condition. Journal of Pakistan Medical Association. 2019; 70(3): 90-5. doi: 10.5455/JPMA.8682. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5455/JPMA.8682

Chang J, Yuan Y, Wang D. Mental health status and its influencing factors among college students during the epidemic of COVID-19. Nan Fang Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao. 2020; 171–6.

Jokic-Begic N, Korajlija AL, Mikac U. Cyberchondria in the age of COVID-19. PLoS One. 2020 Dec; 15(12): e0243704. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243704. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243704

Bajcar B and Babiak J. Neuroticism and cyberchondria: The mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty and defensive pessimism. Personality and Individual Differences. 2020 Aug; 162: 110006. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110006. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110006

Lee SA. Coronavirus Anxiety Scale: A brief mental health screener for COVID-19 related anxiety. Death Studies. 2020 Jul; 44(7): 393–401. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2020.1748481. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2020.1748481

Taylor S, Zvolensky MJ, Cox BJ, Deacon B, Heimberg RG, Ledley DR, et al. Robust dimensions of anxiety sensitivity: Development and initial validation of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3. Psychological Assessment. 2007 Jun; 19(2): 176–88. doi: 10.1037/1040-3590.19.2.176. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.19.2.176

Carleton RN, Norton MAPJ, Asmundson GJG. Fearing the unknown: A short version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 2007 Jan; 21(1): 105–17. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2006.03.014. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2006.03.014

Mathes BM, Norr AM, Allan NP, Albanese BJ, Schmidt NB. Cyberchondria: Overlap with health anxiety and unique relations with impairment, quality of life, and service utilization. Psychiatry Research. 2018 Mar; 261: 204–11. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.01.002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.01.002

Fergus TA. Anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty as potential risk factors for cyberchondria: A replication and extension examining dimensions of each construct. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2015 Sep; 184: 305–9. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.06.017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.06.017

Johnson AL, McLeish AC, Alsaid-Habia T, Shear PK, Privitera M. Anxiety Sensitivity as a Predictor of Epilepsy-Related Quality of Life and Illness Severity Among Adult Epilepsy. Cognitive Therapy and Research. 2019 Feb; 43(1): 6–13. doi: 10.1007/s10608-018-9951-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-018-9951-4

Fergus TA. The Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS): An examination of structure and relations with health anxiety in a community sample. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 2014 Aug; 28(6): 504–10. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.05.006. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.05.006

Zvielli A, Bernstein A, Berenz EC. Exploration of a Factor Mixture-Based Taxonic-Dimensional Model of Anxiety Sensitivity and Transdiagnostic Psychopathology Vulnerability Among Trauma-Exposed Adults. Cognitive Behavior Therapy. 2012 Mar; 41(1): 63–78. doi: 10.1080/16506073.2011.632436. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/16506073.2011.632436

Muse K, McManus F, Leung C, Meghreblian B, Williams JMG. Cyberchondriasis: Fact or fiction? A preliminary examination of the relationship between health anxiety and searching for health information on the Internet. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 2012 Jan; 26(1): 189–96. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2011.11.005. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2011.11.005

Norr AM, Albanese BJ, Oglesby ME, Allan NP, Schmidt NB. Anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty as potential risk factors for cyberchondria. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2015 Mar; 174: 64–9. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.11.023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2014.11.023

Lee SA and Crunk EA. Fear and Psychopathology During the COVID-19 Crisis: Neuroticism, Hypochondriasis, Reassurance-Seeking, and Coronaphobia as Fear Factors. Omega (Westport). 2022 Jun; 85(2): 483–96. doi: 10.1177/0030222820949350. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222820949350

Downloads

Published

2023-12-31
CITATION
DOI: 10.54393/pjhs.v4i12.1173
Published: 2023-12-31

How to Cite

Rashid, N., Shahid, A., Munir, M., Khan, M. U., & Ramzan, Z. (2023). Role of Anxiety Sensitivity, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Cyberchondria Behaviors among Individuals Diagnosed with COVID-19 : Role of Anxiety Sensitivity and Cyberchondria Behaviors. Pakistan Journal of Health Sciences, 4(12), 122–128. https://doi.org/10.54393/pjhs.v4i12.1173

Issue

Section

Original Article

Plaudit