Abstract
BackgroundThis study highlights the significant association between cyberchondria and quality of life among the Lebanese population in the time of COVID-19. The aim was to assess the association between cyberchondria and quality of life (QOL) of Lebanese community during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess the mediating effect of fear of COVID-19, depression, anxiety, stress and Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale in this association.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was carried out between December 2020 and January 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 449 persons participated in this study by filling the online questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to examine the structural relationship between cyberchondria severity, the mediator (anxiety, stress, depression, obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and fear of COVID-19) and physical/mental QOL.ResultsHaving a university level of education and older age were significantly associated with higher physical QOL scores, whereas higher obsession-compulsion disorder, higher stress and higher anxiety were significantly associated with lower physical QOL scores. Higher anxiety was significantly associated with lower mental QOL scores. The results of the SEM showed that stress, fear of COVID-19 and to a lesser limit OCD, mediated the association between cyberchondria severity and physical QOL, whereas anxiety, stress and fear of COVID-19 mediated the association between cyberchondria severity and mental QOL.ConclusionThis research reported interesting results encouraging more exploration of cyberchondria and its association with quality of life during this unique period of the pandemic. However, this virus has altered the lives of individuals all across the world, and the consequences will last for a long time. Along with all of the steps done to stop the development of COVID-19 and improve physical outcomes, mental health requires immediate care. More research is needed to determine the coping techniques people are employing to deal with the pandemic.
Highlights
This study highlights the significant association between cyberchondria and quality of life among the Lebanese population in the time of COVID-19
Factor analyses The results of the factor analyses of the cyberchondria severity scale (Table 2, Model 1), Yale brown obsession compulsion scale (YBOCS) scale (Table 2, Model 2) and Fear of COVID-19 scale (Table 2, Model 3) showed that all scales’ items were extracted
Fear of COVID-19 and to a lesser limit Obsession Compulsion Disorder (OCD), mediated the association between cyberchondria severity and physical quality of life (QOL), whereas anxiety, stress and fear of COVID-19 mediated the association between cyberchondria severity and mental QOL
Summary
This study highlights the significant association between cyberchondria and quality of life among the Lebanese population in the time of COVID-19. The aim was to assess the association between cyberchondria and quality of life (QOL) of Lebanese community during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess the mediating effect of fear of COVID-19, depression, anxiety, stress and Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale in this association. The current coronavirus pandemic is causing considerable psychological and physical stress worldwide [1]. Even though it has been easier than ever before to tackle the physical implications of infectious diseases, the. While fear has always been invoked by infectious diseases, and because of global access to information, this response has never been as widespread as it is with COVID-19 [2]. Increased time spent searching for health information has amplified the levels of anxiety, a phenomenon called “Cyberchondria” [4, 6]
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