A study entitled “Cyberchondria: A new clinical entity in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic”, published in 2020, sheds some light on this “entity”, so called because clinically it has not yet been cataloged and is not even part of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), although it is in the process of modification.
Called by some authors a “devastating obsession,” others call this era the “age of cyberchondria.” The term was used freely and with different meanings throughout the globe.
However, according to the authors of the research, cyberchondria is derived etymologically from the words “cyber” and “hypochondria”, which suggests that it is a form of hypochondria linked to the use of digital media.
While it is not known exactly when the term was first used, the researchers found an article in the well-known American newspaper, Wall Street Journal, published in 1999 and other references to the term also refer to media, especially digital media.
Definition and symptoms
In the study, conducted by researchers at the Antenor Orrego Private University (Peru), it is defined as “excessive search behavior (in amount of content and time spent) and repetitive of information on health issues on the internet, motivated and driven by the anxiety suffered by the subject, on issues of their health and the search for relief. ”
But instead of quelling anxiety, it amplifies it, “leading to unhealthy emotional and behavioral outcomes.” Thus, the authors stressed the difference between simple “occasional online search” (given out of curiosity or need to learn) even if it is repetitive, because unlike cyberchondria, it produces “pleasure and leads to feelings of relief and satisfaction.”
In the opposite case, on the other hand “it is not a pleasant activity for the subject”, it is even associated with distressing sensations.
“These subjects usually consult multiple websites, since the information they find does not satisfy them and when they are not successful they may experience physical symptoms such as shortness of breath, increased heart rate, chest tightness, profuse sweating, and can reach the extreme of suffering a panic attack or suffering insomnia,” they explained in the study.
According to the research, cyberchondria is composed of four dimensions: excessive repetitive searches on the internet for medical information, search for tranquility as a goal, increased anguish and interruption of daily activities by this compulsive behavior.
For those who suffer from this disorder, the information they find is insufficient and that makes them feel more overwhelmed and perceive physical symptoms.
“The more overwhelmed they feel, the more time they spend looking for particular symptoms and the more they become convinced that they experience this disease: One of the risks of this type of disorder is that patients begin to place their trust in the Internet and develop distrust towards the doctor, this being a characteristic of cyberchondria; It may also be associated with a higher likelihood of self-medication,” the paper stated.
The prevalence of this entity generates concern and that is why the study collected some numbers observed in different territories.
According to the research, a survey conducted in 9 countries found that more than 75% of participants make consultations related to health issues on the Internet, another in the United States reported that 88% of adult users searched online for health-related information and 62% did so in the last month.
Other research cited showed that more than 50% of patients treated with depressive symptoms, without an appointment, had consulted online about their health conditions. Similarly, another study revealed that about 70% of doctors reported that they dealt with patients who consulted about their conditions based on the information they consulted on the web.
Although it is a “recent and little studied” phenomenon, the researchers associated cyberchondria with other psychiatric disorders at the clinical level.
“Some consider these to overlap with traits of health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), personality disorders and specific internet addiction, others consider it as the “twenty-first century counterpart of hippo.ondría”; and there are those who consider it as an individual psychiatric condition with a formal diagnosis; However, no consensus has been established on this,” the analysis said.
Given this scenario, what motivations do people have to search for medical information on the internet? According to the research, participants report easy access to the internet, low cost or free use in certain cases and obtaining the information they seek at the time they want.
In addition, they stressed the anonymity of the search and that they avoid administrative processes “that are often an obstacle”, as well as referring discomfort to raise their doubts in front of the medical professional and that doctors do not give them enough time to discuss their concerns (limited time of medical consultation and unclear explanation).
“They report internet use after medical consultation, to better understand their symptoms, since the explanation they received has not been sufficient,” the study added.
While waiting for the modifications of the DSM-5, this research reflected on the consumption of media, which sometimes increases anxiety about perceived health issues.
On the other hand, the publication stressed that among the useful interventions to treat this entity at present, are education to avoid excessive use of the internet and the recommendation of reliable websites, however there is still a way to go in the research of this entity that still lacks sufficient studies to be conceptualized and treated optimally at the clinical level.
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