Examining the Influence of Cyberchondria on Quality of Life and Functional Impairment in Young Adults

Description

Rukhsar Samreen and Md. Hassan Jafri (Department of Psychology, Patna University, Patna, Bihar)

Cyberchondria, an excessive and compulsive online health information search leading to increased anxiety and distress, is gaining public health concern across the globe. Much of the research has focused on exploring the antecedents of Cyberchondria, while relatively little attention has been given to its consequences. The present study examined the influence of Cyberchondria on two important variables – quality of life and functional impairment. Adopting a cross-sectional research design, the study was conducted on 135 young adults. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire comprising all the study variables. Correlations and regression analyses were conducted to test study hypotheses. Results revealed that Cyberchondria is significantly associated with both quality of life and functional impairment. Regression results revealed that Cyberchondria negatively and significantly influenced quality of life and positively and significantly influenced functional impairment. The implications of the findings have been explained in the study.