Cyberchondria in the age of COVID-19 Jokic-Begic, Natasa; Lauri Korajlija, Anita; Mikac, Una
PloS one,
12/2020, Volume:
15, Issue:
12
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The global epidemic of (mis)information, spreading rapidly via social media platforms and other outlets, can be a risk factor for the development of anxiety disorders among vulnerable individuals. ...Cyberchondria can be a vulnerability factor for developing anxiety in a pandemic situation, particularly when the Internet is flooded with (mis)information. The aim of our study was to examine how cyberchondria is related to changes in levels of COVID-19 concern and safety behaviours among persons living in Croatia during the period in which the first COVID-19 case was identified and when the country recorded its first fatality. Repeated cross-sectional data collection was conducted during two waves over a period of three weeks (N1 = 888; N2 = 966). The first began on the day of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Croatia (February 24th, 2020) and the second wave began three weeks later, on the day the first COVID-19 fatality was recorded in Croatia (March 19th, 2020). Participants completed an online questionnaire regarding various COVID-19 concerns and safety behaviours aimed at disease prevention (information seeking, avoidance and hygiene) and a measure of cyberchondria (Short Cyberchondria Scale, SCS). We analysed whether changes to the epidemiological situation during the period between the two waves of data collection led to an increase in COVID-19 related behaviour directly and indirectly via an increase in COVID-19 concerns. The results indicated that, between the two waves of research, there was a pronounced increase in concerns regarding COVID-19 (b = 1.11, p < .001) as well as significant behavioural changes (b = 1.18-2.34, p < .001). Also, results demonstrated that cyberchondria plays a moderating role in these changes. In the first wave, persons with severe cyberchondria were already intensely concerned with safety behaviours. High cyberchondria and high levels of concern about the COVID-19 are associated with intense avoidance behaviours, R2 = .63, p < .001. A moderated partial mediation model was confirmed, in which the effect of the epidemiological situation was weaker for those with higher results on the SCS (as indicated by index of moderated mediation between -.10 and -.15, p < .05). As such, cyberchondria is a contributing factor to long-term anxiety and its impact during pandemic on the general mental health burden should therefore be further investigated.
Numerous studies have shown that socially anxious individuals prefer technology-mediated communication over face-to-face interactions. The aim of this study was to examine possible differences ...between socially anxious and non-anxious individuals on social media. The online survey included 1, 174 Croatian female participants. The questionnaire contained sociodemographic data and indicators of social comparison, offline social support, time spent on social media, and type of social media use, as well as the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Self-Like and Self-Competence Scale (SLSC-R). Socially anxious individuals did not significantly differ from non-socially anxious individuals in terms of time spent on social media, but their use of social media was different. Controlling for age, social comparison, level of depressiveness and self-esteem, less active use increased the risk of belonging to the socially anxious group. Offline social support did not significantly moderate the relationship between active use of social media and social anxiety but was a significant correlate of social anxiety. Future research should examine whether online social support can encourage socially anxious users to use social media more actively, to reduce social anxiety in the long term.
•Socially anxious individuals do not differ from non-socially anxious individuals in time spent on social media•Socially anxious individuals are characterized by less active social media use compared to non-socially anxious individuals•Offline social support do not moderate the relationship between active social media use and social anxiety
COVID‐19: Concerns and behaviours in Croatia Lauri Korajlija, Anita; Jokic‐Begic, Natasa
British journal of health psychology,
November 2020, Volume:
25, Issue:
4
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Objectives
The COVID‐19 pandemic has created uncertainty that has heightened fear and worry worldwide, thus elevating the potential for a growth in anxiety. This study aims to examine changes in ...levels of COVID‐19 concern and safety behaviours among persons living in Croatia during the period in which the first COVID‐19 case was identified and when the country recorded its first fatality. These changes were examined with respect to gender and family circumstances.
Design
The repeated cross‐sectional data were conducted over two time points over the 3 weeks (N1 = 888; N2 = 966).
Methods
Participants completed online questionnaire regarding various COVID‐19 concerns and safety behaviours aimed at disease prevention.
Results
Findings demonstrate dramatic increase in concern and safety behaviours among participants during the 3 weeks between the first identified case and the first fatality. The results suggest that parents, and mothers especially, represent the most concerned group, regardless of age. People with chronic health conditions also expressed greater concern and safety behaviour than healthy participants, but with small effect size.
Conclusion
These findings highlight the importance of developing clear guidelines for alleviating the negative effects on mental health through effective communication strategies that minimize fear and emphasize positive behavioural change.
Statement of contribution
What is already known on this subject?
In times of pandemic, people react with elevated levels of anxiety and some will adjust their behaviours in order to protect themselves as well as their family and friends.
Some of the measures introduced to protect the spread of the COVID‐19 disease have induced an atmosphere of fear, which in turn can lead to an increase in maladaptive anxiety and a greater burden on mental health.
What does this study add?
By conducting the research in two waves representing two critical time points in the developing COVID‐19 situation in Croatia, we were able to trace a large increase in anxiety levels and safety behaviours among the general population.
There is a discordance between those who are at most risk from serious consequences of the disease and those who are at greatest risk for maladaptive anxiety. Parents, and mothers in particular, represent the most concerned group, regardless of age.
Lockdown measures have allowed us to ensure the safety of those vulnerable for serious COVID‐19 illness. Now, we must focus on preserving the mental health of our whole community.
Eating disorder (ED) symptoms are a growing problem and modern technologies introduced a new and unexplored potential risk factor for vulnerable individuals. It is fairly common for women to use the ...Internet in order to find information about various weight-loss methods, but it was further questioned whether perfectionism and eating disorder symptomatology could be linked to this behavior.
: Participants were 228 women (Mean age = 30.5; SD = 9.43) recruited via social media, who provided responses on measures of perfectionism, eating disorder symptoms, and a short check-list measuring the frequency of online searching about five topics (food, diet, exercise, body appearance, and eating disorders).
Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that the BMI and Discrepancy subscale of APS-R significantly predicted online searching, along with eating disorder symptomatology. Moreover, mediation analyses resulted in a significant indirect effect, but not a direct effect, indicating that eating disorder symptomatology fully mediated the relationship between BMI and online searching, as well as between maladaptive perfectionism and online searching.
These findings shed light on a high BMI and maladaptive perfectionism as potential risk factors for eating disorder-related behavior on the Internet. More attention to online-seeking behavior among women symptomatic of ED is warranted, and websites containing such topics should include information about professional help for eating disorder-symptomatic individuals.
Predictors of pharmacophobia Petelinšek, Ana; Lauri Korajlija, Anita
Health psychology research,
05/2020, Volume:
8, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Recent studies estimate that between 30% to 50% of the population does not adhere to their prescribed therapies, and one of the reasons is pharmacophobia. Pharmacophobia is a fear of medication and a ...negative attitude toward drugs in general. The aim of this study was to determine predictors of pharmacophobia. 700 participants participated in the study, of which 80.9% were female. The age of the participants ranged from 19 to 62 years (M=26.5, SD=7.41). The instrument consisted of several questionnaires measuring attitudes toward drugs, beliefs about medicine, emotional disgust, medication form preference, tendency for alternative medical habits and the likelihood of believing in conspiracy theories. Also, the demographic data was collected. The research was conducted through an online survey. The results showed that out of the total number of participants, 20.3% evaluated themselves as pharmacophobic, and 79.7% as pharmacophilics. Given the goal of the study, the results obtained suggest that one of the predictors of pharmacophobia is the tendency to believe in conspiracy theories, where the higher inclination to believe in conspiracy theories leads to greater pharmacophobia. Furthermore, the preference for solid drug forms and drugs that are intended for usage through the body cavity also contribute to an explanation of pharmacophobia in a way that pharmacophobic persons do not have a preference toward said medication forms. The predictor that contributes the most in the explanation of pharmacophobia is a negative belief in drugs, suggesting that a person with an expressed negative attitude to medication will probably not adhere to prescribed therapies by doctors.
Cilj istraživanja: Cilj provedenog istraživanja jest usporedba zdravstvenih briga i ponašanja pripadnika opće populacije i liječnika, kao i indikatora njihovoga mentalnog zdravlja tijekom pandemije ...COVID-19 u Hrvatskoj. Ispitanici i metode: Istraživanje je provedeno u ožujku i travnju 2020. na dva uzorka. Uzorak liječnika sastojao se od 725 sudionika, od kojih su većina žene (71,9%) u dobi između 26 i 81 godine (M=48,3; SD=11,26). U uzorku iz opće populacije sudjelovalo je 780 sudionika, također većinom žene (72,7%); raspon dobi kretao se
od 19 do 77 godina (M=40,2; SD=12,27). Sudionici su ispunili Upitnik ponašanja vezanih uz COVID-19, Ljestvicu COVID-19 briga, Ljestvicu briga vezanih uz pandemiju, a kao indikatori mentalnog zdravlja korišteni su CORE-YP i procjena kvalitete života. Rezultati: Liječnici, u odnosu na opću populaciju, imaju izraženije brige vezane za COVID-19 i brige vezane za funkcioniranje zdravstvenog sustava. Manje su zabrinuti za vlastito mentalno zdravlje, nisu psihološki uznemireniji niti imaju lošiju kvalitetu života u odnosu na opću populaciju. Međutim, imaju
izraženije teškoće sa spavanjem, bili su manje zainteresirani za razgovor o svojim teškoćama, ali su imali dojam adekvatne socijalne podrške i samoefikasnosti. Iako nema razlike između liječnika i opće populacije u općoj razini psihološkog distresa, u objema skupinama ta je razina značajno viša nego u razdoblju prije pandemije. Zaključci: Pandemija je izazvala situacijske specifične zabrinutosti kod liječnika, no njihov stupanj opće uznemirenosti i razina procijenjene kvalitete života jednaki su kao i u općoj populaciji. Iako se prema dosadašnjim stranim istraživanjima očekivalo narušeno psihičko zdravlje liječnika u pandemiji, naši rezultati to nisu potvrdili. Jedan je od mogućih razloga povoljna epidemiološka situacija u Hrvatskoj, koja je pokazivala linearni porast oboljelih od COVID-19.
The aim of this study was to examine the existing mobile applications focused on sexual health and analyze the included content and therapeutic techniques. Three databases with mobile applications ...were searched and 47 applications met the criteria. More applications have been developed for men, most of them included content for erectile dysfunction, and only one for vaginismus. Most apps included sexuality tips and Kegel exercises, and only one technique for working on thoughts and emotions. In conclusion, a number of mobile applications have been developed to enhance sexual functioning, but scientific verification of their effectiveness has been completely lacking.
PDF
