Investigating the Relationship Between Cyberchondria Level and Perceived Stress in Young Adults

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cyberchondria level and perceived stress in young adults. Material and Methods: This descriptive and relational study was conducted with 547 students studying at a university between September and November 2019. The data of the study were collected through the Personal Information Form, Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Results: It was determined that 92.1% of the students were in the age group of 18-24 years and 70.9% were female. 73.5% of the participants stated that they spend 1-5 hours a day on the internet, 31.8% stated that they always used the internet in health-related issues, and 17.4% stated that they believed to have an undiagnosed disease. It was found that PSS total mean score was 27.6±7.1 and CSS total mean score was 38.2±8.0. Conclusion: A positive correlation was determined between the cyberchondria severity scale total score and the perceived stress scale total score.