The development and initial validation of the cyberchondria severity scale (CSS)

McElroy, Eoin; Shevlin, Mark

doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.12.007

Cited by 237 publications

(263 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The CSS developed by McElroy and Shelvin, is expected to be an important tool in assessment of the severity of cyberchondria and its associations with psychiatric disorders (McElroy & Shevlin, 2014). The aim of the study was to explore reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the CSS which developed for the measure consequences of excessive health-related online search.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The CSS items are rated on a 5-point scale (ranging from 1 to 5). In addition to a total score, the CSS consists of five subscales: Compulsion (8 items), Distress (8 items), Excessiveness (8 items), Reassurance (6 items), and Mistrust of Medical Professional (3 items) (McElroy & Shevlin, 2014).…”

Section: Cyberchondria Severity Scale (Css)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Doing more exercises, gaining healthier eating habits, or adherence to medication can be considered as positive outcomes emerge from health-related online experiences (McElroy & Shevlin, 2014). On the contrary, such strivings may give rise to inflated uncertainty about ailments due to the concerns about accuracy, relevance and reliability of information based on online search results.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cyberchondria is a type of elevated anxiety concerning distress about one's own health status due to the online search for health information (McElroy & Shevlin, 2014). The conceptualization captures reassurance-seeking behaviours in which the priority of the afflicted individuals appears to be relief from health anxiety without any interaction with people suffering from similar problems (Starcevic & Aboujaoude, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The CSS was developed as a self-report psychometric instrument by McElroy and Shevlin to measure the experienced health anxiety in the face of excessive online health search (McElroy & Shevlin, 2014). The CSS consisting of 33 items yields five subscales of 'Compulsion' , 'Distress', 'Excessiveness', 'Reassurance Seeking' and 'Mistrust of Medical Professional'.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS): Validity and Reliability Study of the Turkish Version

Selvı¹,

Turan²,

Sayin³

et al. 2018

Sleep Hypn

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Objective: Even though the internet is a valuable resource for medical information, it has the potential to increase anxiety, fear or obsessive-compulsive behaviours, particularly among individuals more prone to health related anxiety. Researchers have found that health anxiety, hypochondria, and online health searches are associated with increased anxious symptomatology. The aim of this study is to investigate the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Cyberchondria Severity Scale, a measure of online health anxiety. Method: Three hundred thirty-seven university students with an age range of 16-55 were included in the study. The Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS), Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Anxiety Sensitivity Inventory-3 (ASI-3), and Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI) were administered to participants. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that five-factor solution best fit to the data. The overall and subscales of the CSS had excellent internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.91, for the overall measure, and Cronbach α values ranged from 0.78 to 0.87), with an exception of 'mistruct of medical professional' subscale (Cronbach α = 0.64). The total and subscales of the CSS had generally good convergent validity. Conclusion: The CSS is a newly developed screening tool to assess online health anxiety, and present study demonstrated that the Turkish version of the scale had promising psychometric properties.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Cyberchondria Severity Scale (Css)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

The Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS): Validity and Reliability Study of the Turkish Version

Selvı¹,

Turan²,

Sayin³

et al. 2018

Sleep Hypn

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References

2016

Cyberpsychology: The Study of Individuals, Society and Digital Technologies

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Online health information seeking, health anxiety and cyberchondria among men who engage in sexual risk taking: The mediating role of medical consultation about HIV/AIDS

Guo,

Wang,

2024

Community & Applied Soc Psy

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The rapid development of electronic communication technology has brought about a revolutionary transformation in health information seeking and medical consultation. Beyond traditional avenues like seeking assistance from doctors in hospitals, individuals now have the option to engage in online medical consultations, enhancing their ability to manage routine health effectively. However, an overreliance on online medical consultations driven by heightened health anxiety may contribute to the surge in online health information inquiries, a phenomenon positively associated with the emergence of cyberchondria. In the context of China, where HIV/AIDS is socially stigmatised, cyberchondria related to HIV infection becomes particularly noteworthy. This study delves into the potential consequences of online health information seeking (OHIS) with a specific focus on Kongai BBS, a platform catering for individuals with a fear of AIDS. Our research collected data from 309 male users actively participating in the BBS, who had engaged in high‐risk sexual behaviours in the past 6 months. Applying structural equation modelling (SEM), this study examines the intricate relationships between OHIS, health anxiety, online and offline medical consultations, and cyberchondria. The results indicate that online medical consultation serves as a mediator in the relationship between OHIS and cyberchondria, whereas offline medical consultation does not significantly impact this relationship. These findings contribute valuable insights into the interactive dynamics between online and offline medical consultations, offering practical implications for the prevention of HIV infection in China. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

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The development and initial validation of the cyberchondria severity scale (CSS)

Cited by 237 publications

References 24 publications

The Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS): Validity and Reliability Study of the Turkish Version

The Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS): Validity and Reliability Study of the Turkish Version

References

Online health information seeking, health anxiety and cyberchondria among men who engage in sexual risk taking: The mediating role of medical consultation about HIV/AIDS

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