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Copyright of Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The traditional Chinese health food consumption market in China has experienced significant growth in recent years, with rising popularity among young people. However, how young people form their intentions to purchase traditional Chinese health food is still unclear. This study aims to redefine the concept of traditional Chinese health food and provide a theoretical foundation for understanding consumer behavior within this context. A specialized survey was conducted to test the proposed conceptual model. The results indicate that both health anxiety and traditional cultural identity have a significantly positive influence on young people's purchase intention for traditional Chinese health food. Perceived consumption risk negatively affects their purchase intention for such products. Perceived consumption risk plays a negative moderating role in the relationship between traditional cultural identity and young people's purchase intention for traditional Chinese health food. This study offers novel insights and strategic directions for traditional Chinese health food industry professionals, while also serving as an illustrative case for other countries seeking to comprehend the health food consumption landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although health anxiety is broadly related to the overutilization of healthcare, limited research has examined this relation among individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs), or the extent to which racial/ethnic differences influence this relationship. Objectives: The purpose of the current study is to examine the moderating role of racial/ethnic minoritized background in the relationship between health anxiety and treatment utilization among individuals with SUDs. In the present study, patients with SUDs receiving residential treatment in Mississippi (N=118; 62% racial/ethnic minoritized status, 35.6% White) completed a measure of health anxiety and answered questions about past mental health, physical health, and substance use treatment. Regression models examined whether racial/ethnic minoritized status (White vs. racial/ethnic minoritized status) moderated the relation of health anxiety to treatment utilization among patients with SUDs. Treatment utilization was examined by asking whether participants had seen a doctor or mental health provider, engaged in substance use treatment, or alcohol treatment prior to their current treatment (dichotomous), as well as the number of times they had engaged in each treatment (physical health, mental health, substance use, and alcohol treatment) in the past year (continuous). Results: Results revealed that the facets of health anxiety involving concerns about pain and disease phobia were positively associated with treatment utilization, but only among racial/ethnic minoritized participants, with concerns about pain positively associated with self-reported physical health treatment utilization (OR=0.70, 95% CI=0.50; 0.97) and disease phobia positively associated with past mental health (B = 0.36, p = 0.023) and alcohol use treatment (B=-0.23, p=.009). Conversely, disease phobia was related to less prior alcohol use treatment among White participants (B=-0.23, p=.009). Conclusions: Overall, among patients in residential treatment for SUDs, racial/ethnic minoritized participants with SUDs reported more health anxiety compared to white participants, and certain facets of health anxiety (i.e., concerns about pain and worry about severe illness) were linked to heightened treatment utilization among racial/ethnic minoritized individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a cancer diagnosis, life is accompanied by worries, concerns and fears that the disease will recur or worsen. These can be normal and useful reactions but may also become so severe that they interfere with everyday functioning. A challenge for patient care is that the theoretical similarity of these reactions, is not consistently conceptualized in practice, hence the empirical comparability of their measures is unclear. Here we intend to show that the theoretical similarity is also empirically justified, and we present a common metric in graphical form that allows direct comparisons between different questionnaires. A total of 1,733 cancer patients completed the Fear of Progression Questionnaire Short Form, Questionnaire on Stress in Cancer Patients–revised version, Concerns About Recurrence Questionnaire, the subscales Health Distress and Negative Health Outlook of the EORTC QLQ-SURV100, and the Whiteley Index. Using a model based on item response theory, we linked the score values of the individual questionnaires. The main outcome of this study is a diagram that can be used to convert the respective values of eight questionnaires on health anxiety to another. All instruments showed a reliability above 0.75 near the mean health anxiety level. The common metric can be used to compare measurements with these questionnaires in terms of the level of health anxiety. Additionally, the reliability of the instruments can be judged at different levels of anxiety. This allows for a better comparability of test results and facilitates communication about the results among experts and with patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health anxiety (HA) is a prevalent concern among medical students, potentially impacting their academic performance and Quality of Life (QoL). This study aims to assess the prevalence of HA and its predictors among medical students in Egypt and its correlation with the Quality of Life. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during the 2022–2023 academic year across ten Egyptian medical schools. A total of 1,173 students participated by completing an online questionnaire, which included the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) and the 12-Item Short Form Survey (SF-12). Data were analyzed using SPSS 25. Chi-square tests, crude odds ratios (COR) with 95% confidence intervals, and Pearson's correlation coefficients were utilized for statistical analysis. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: This study found that 15.7% of participants experienced clinically significant HA. Female students (17.5%) and students dissatisfied with their academic performance (18%) exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of HA. A significant negative correlation was observed between HA and QoL (r = -0.393, p ≤ 0.05), with students experiencing HA reporting lower QoL scores. Key predictors of HA included female gender (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.01–1.96) and lack of academic satisfaction (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.04–1.96). Conclusion: Health anxiety (HA) is a notable issue among Egyptian medical students, particularly affecting females and those dissatisfied with their academic performance and is closely linked to reduced quality of life. Effective interventions could enhance the overall educational experience, helping students improve their well-being and manage HA's impacts on their personal and academic lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted mental health worldwide, especially among healthcare professionals, including medical students, who were more exposed to pandemic-related stressors. However, health anxiety within this vulnerable group remains understudied. Objective: This study aimed to assess and compare health anxiety and COVID-19 anxiety between medical and non-medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify factors associated with these forms of anxiety. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited Iranian medical and non-medical students studying in Mashhad via convenience sampling using messaging apps. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire on demographic and social factors, along with the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI) and the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS), with higher scores reflecting greater symptom severity. Statistical analyses evaluated group differences, correlations between HAI and CDAS scores, and the influence of confounding variables. Results: A total of 305 students participated, with 176 medical students (57.7%) and 129 non-medical students (42.3%). The majority (92.7%) reported mild COVID-19 anxiety, while 3.2% reported moderate and 0.98% reported severe COVID-19 anxiety. COVID-19 anxiety did not significantly differ between medical and non-medical students (P = 0.439). However, medical students reported significantly higher fear of illness consequences than non-medical students (P = 0.037), while no significant differences were found in susceptibility to disease (P = 0.299) or general health concern (P = 0.156). HAI and CDAS scores were significantly correlated (r = 0.30, P < 0.001). Based on logistic regression, Female gender (OR = 4.55, P = 0.002) was associated with susceptibility to health anxiety, while studying a non-medical major was associated with lower health anxiety (OR = 0.01, P < 0.001) and lower COVID-19 anxiety (OR = 0.05, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Mild COVID-19 anxiety was prevalent among both medical and non-medical students, with comparable levels of health anxiety across the groups. These findings suggest the need for targeted mental health support among students during pandemic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nocebo effect refers to an expectation of sickness that leads to sickness in the expectant. Studies have found COVID-19 vaccines to be associated with the nocebo effect. However, the literature in this field is sparse yet important with the continuation of booster vaccines. National cohort study. This study used data from the Danish national cohort "BiCoVac", which contains self-reported information on both health anxiety and specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, as well as 19 systemic AEs following COVID-19 vaccination. Simple and multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the association between health anxiety and specific COVID-19 vaccine concern with having one or more systemic AEs following COVID-19 vaccination. Inverse probability weights were used to compensate for the initial dropout and loss to follow-up. Of the 85,080 participants in the study, 4 % reported health anxiety, 30 % reported specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, and 26 % one or more systemic AEs following vaccination. After adjusting for covariates, participants with health anxiety had higher odds of reporting one or more systemic AEs following vaccination compared to those without (OR, 1·21 CI 95 % [1·10; 1·33]). For specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, the OR was 1·51 CI 95 % [1·45; 1·58]. Participants with specific COVID-19 vaccine concern had higher odds of reporting one or more systemic AEs following vaccination compared with those who had no specific COVID-19 vaccine concern. There might be a potential to reduce AEs, with positive framing of AEs and information about nocebo. Reporting of AEs was also associated with health anxiety, but to a lesser degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: After the lifting of epidemic control measures in China at the end of 2022, the number of COVID-19 infections has increased dramatically. Such an upsurge may intensify people's health anxiety and raise concerns about the risk of reinfection. While numerous studies have shown the correlation between them during the COVID-19, research on their underlying mechanism remains limited. Purpose: This study aims to test the relationship and mechanism between health anxiety and perceived risk of reinfection among COVID-19 infected people from different occupational backgrounds. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 24th to 28th, 2022, after the epidemic control measures were lifted. A total of 1122 Chinese individuals were infected with COVID-19 (67.91% females, Mage = 28.13) completed measures of health anxiety, perceived risk of reinfection, fear of COVID-19, online health information seeking (OHIS), and COVID-19 information fear of missing out (FOMO). Data were analyzed using multiple-mediation model and multi-group analysis. Results: Health anxiety, perceived risk of reinfection, fear of COVID-19, OHIS and COVID-19 information FOMO were positively and significantly related to each other (r ranged from 0.25 to 0.77, all p < 0.001). Fear of COVID-19 (β = 0.27, p < 0.01), OHIS (β = 0.10, p < 0.001), and COVID-19 information FOMO (β = − 0.05, p < 0.01) fully mediated the relationship between health anxiety and perceived risk of reinfection, the path of chaining mediation is also significant. Discrepancies in mediation models surfaced across the three types of work groups. Conclusion: Findings suggest fear of COVID-19, OHIS and COVID-19 information FOMO may play significant mediating roles in explaining the relationship between health anxiety and perceived risk of reinfection. Interventions to reduce the perceived risk of reinfection should aim to improve the quality of online health information and individuals' online health literacy and reduce fear of COVID-19 during and after the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Treatment-seeking behaviors in elderly patients can facilitate timely diagnosis and effective intervention for health issues, whereas treatment-avoidant behaviors may contribute to the progression of diseases and an increased burden of chronic conditions. Understanding the psychological factors influencing these behaviors is crucial for improving health outcomes in this population. This study aimed to compare personality traits and resilience among elderly patients with health anxiety who exhibit treatment-seeking versus treatment-avoidant behaviors. Methods: This fundamental research employed a causal-comparative design. The statistical population consisted of elderly patients with health anxiety who referred to Healthcare Centers in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran, in 2023. A sample of 60 patients was selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Salkowski Health Anxiety Inventory. Hypotheses were tested using MANOVA. Results: Significant differences were observed between treatment -seeking and treatment-avoidant patients in terms of personality traits and resilience (F (2, 57) = 11.28, p < 0.05). The findings highlighted that individuals with certain personality traits and higher levels of resilience were more inclined to seek treatment. Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of considering personality traits and resilience as key factors when developing strategies for encouraging appropriate healthcare-seeking behaviors among elderly patients with health anxiety. Understanding these factors can inform tailored interventions to reduce treatment avoidance and improve overall health management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the crises recently affecting human society is an emerging pandemic that has had a significant psychological impact on healthcare workers. Studies have shown that staff experience psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia when exposed to crises. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the association between health anxiety and the sleep quality of healthcare workers during crisis conditions. Methods: This cross-sectional, correlational descriptive-analytical study was conducted from late February 2019 to late March 2020. Using convenient sampling, 382 healthcare workers from medical universities in Golestan province participated in the survey. Data were collected via an internet link shared with participants through WhatsApp working groups. The instruments used in this research included demographic information, sleep quality, and health anxiety inventories. The data were analyzed using SPSS-21 with descriptive and analytical statistics. Results: Of the participants, 77.2% were women, 65.4% were single, 60.7% were nurses, and 64.4% had a bachelor's degree. The results revealed that 72.7% of the staff experienced moderate to high levels of anxiety. Regarding sleep quality, 28.3% (n = 108) of healthcare workers reported good sleep quality, while 71.7% (n = 274) reported poor sleep quality. Additionally, the results indicated a significant correlation between health anxiety scores and sleep quality scores (r = 0.129, P = 0.01). Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the critical conditions caused by emerging diseases have led to health anxiety among healthcare workers, negatively affecting their sleep quality. Therefore, medical center officials must address such psychological issues and implement preventive measures to maintain the mental health of healthcare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated widespread health anxiety, affecting populations globally. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between introspective awareness and health anxiety levels. Methods: Employing a cross-sectional design and the convenience sampling method, 350 residents of Richmond Hill, Canada, with an age of 18 and above participated in this study in 2023. Health anxiety was assessed using the health anxiety inventory (HAI), while introspective awareness was measured via the multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness (MAIA), encompassing eight subscales. Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis were used to explore the predictive relationships between introspective awareness components and health anxiety. Results: The participants exhibited a slight female predominance (53.43%), diverse age distribution, and the majority had post-secondary education (81.43%). Noticing (r=-0.45, P0.05). The regression model revealed that these components significantly predicted health anxiety levels, accounting for approximately 42% of the variance (R2=0.42, F(2, 347)=48.35, P

Introduction: Treatment-seeking behaviors in elderly patients can facilitate timely diagnosis and effective intervention for health issues, whereas treatment-avoidant behaviors may contribute to the progression of diseases and an increased burden of chronic conditions. Understanding the psychological factors influencing these behaviors is crucial for improving health outcomes in this population. This study aimed to compare personality traits and resilience among elderly patients with health anxiety who exhibit treatment-seeking versus treatment-avoidant behaviors. Methods: This fundamental research employed a causal-comparative design. The statistical population consisted of elderly patients with health anxiety who referred to Healthcare Centers in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran, in 2023. A sample of 60 patients was selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Salkowski Health Anxiety Inventory. Hypotheses were tested using MANOVA. Results: Significant differences were observed between treatment-seeking and treatment-avoidant patients in terms of personality traits and resilience (F (2, 57) = 11.28, p < 0.05). The findings highlighted that individuals with certain personality traits and higher levels of resilience were more inclined to seek treatment. Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of considering personality traits and resilience as key factors when developing strategies for encouraging appropriate healthcare-seeking behaviors among elderly patients with health anxiety. Understanding these factors can inform tailored interventions to reduce treatment avoidance and improve overall health management.

Objective: Rapid technological developments have increased the search for health-related information on the internet. It has also affected nurses, who have high concerns about diseases due to the nature of their profession. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between nurses’ cyberchondria levels and health anxiety and the influencing factors. Method: Health anxiety inventory and cyberchondria severity scale were used as data collection tools in this study conducted with 388 nurses working in a state hospital in Turkey. The t-test, One-Way ANOVA, correlation, and logistic regression analyses were used in the data analysis. Results: It was determined that the total score of the nurses on the health anxiety scale was 26.34±2.66 and the total mean score of the nurses on the cyberchondria severity scale was 34.92±3.77. A high positive correlation was found between cyberchondria and health anxiety (ρ=0.986; p=0.013). It was found that demographic variables significantly predicted cyberchondria scale scores and health anxiety. Conclusion: Because of the analysis, it was determined that the health anxiety and cyberchondria severity of the nurses participating in the study were moderate. It is thought that nurses’ professional knowledge and awareness of diseases increase their health anxiety, and they conduct more research on health problems via the internet. Considering the prevalence of internet use today, it is recommended to plan in-service training on internet literacy for nurses.

Abstract Background First-year nursing students are at a critical juncture in their education. They are transitioning from laypersons to healthcare professionals, and students are frequently exposed to medical information in academic settings and through personal research. This exposure can sometimes lead to cyberchondria; improving health literacy and managing health anxiety are critical strategies for reducing the incidence of cyberchondria. Aim Investigate the mediating effect of health anxiety on cyberchondria and health literacy among first-year nursing students. Methods A cross-sectional correlational research design was used in this study. The study was conducted with 475 students in October 2023 during the first semester of the academic year 2023–2024. Results Cyberchondria and health literacy levels were both moderate. In addition, the degree of health anxiety among first-year Nursing Students was mild, too. The results showed that the association between Cyberchondria and Health Literacy was partially mediated by health anxiety. Conclusion and implications This study highlights the sophisticated relationship between cyberchondria, health literacy, and anxiety among first-year nursing students. It demonstrates that lower health literacy can lead to increased health anxiety, which in turn exacerbates cyberchondria. To mitigate these issues, it is essential to enhance health literacy and provide support for managing health anxiety within nursing education programs. By doing so, we can help nursing students navigate online health information effectively and reduce unnecessary health-related anxieties, promoting better educational outcomes and overall well-being.

Introduction: Online health information seeking is one of the single most popular platforms in which people gather health-related information. Many sources provide ambiguous and unauthorized health information, which is part of the digital era. Cyberchondria refers to prolonged and repetitive online health searches and negative emotional and physiological responses that occur due to online searches. Health anxiety due to COVID-19 also contributed to online health information seeking. This current study assesses the association between health anxiety and smartphone use with cyberchondria among young adults. Methods: The study sample consisted of 356 individuals aged 18–25 years. We used an online survey for study participants with the Cyberchondria severity scale-12 (CSS-12), Health Anxiety Questionnaire, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version. Results: The mean age of participants was 22 years (standard deviation: 2.13). Sixty-two percent of participants used the information obtained by the online platform to diagnose themselves. Excessiveness was more among all other subscales of cyberchondria. The results of linear regression analysis indicated that health anxiety (P < 0.001) and smartphone addiction (P < 0.001) significantly contributed to cyberchondria. Conclusion: This study shows the association between health anxiety and smartphone addiction with cyberchondria. This finding implies the need for a community-level conscientization on cyberchondria. There is a need to carry out promotional and preventive programs regarding the health usage of technology.

Background: First-year nursing students are at a critical juncture in their education. They are transitioning from laypersons to healthcare professionals, and students are frequently exposed to medical information in academic settings and through personal research. This exposure can sometimes lead to cyberchondria; improving health literacy and managing health anxiety are critical strategies for reducing the incidence of cyberchondria. Aim: Investigate the mediating effect of health anxiety on cyberchondria and health literacy among first-year nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational research design was used in this study. The study was conducted with 475 students in October 2023 during the first semester of the academic year 2023–2024. Results: Cyberchondria and health literacy levels were both moderate. In addition, the degree of health anxiety among first-year Nursing Students was mild, too. The results showed that the association between Cyberchondria and Health Literacy was partially mediated by health anxiety. Conclusion and implications: This study highlights the sophisticated relationship between cyberchondria, health literacy, and anxiety among first-year nursing students. It demonstrates that lower health literacy can lead to increased health anxiety, which in turn exacerbates cyberchondria. To mitigate these issues, it is essential to enhance health literacy and provide support for managing health anxiety within nursing education programs. By doing so, we can help nursing students navigate online health information effectively and reduce unnecessary health-related anxieties, promoting better educational outcomes and overall well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mainstream cognitive behavioural theory stipulates that clinically significant health anxiety persists over time at least partially due to negatively reinforced health-related behaviours, but there exists no broad and psychometrically valid measure of such behaviours. Aims: To draft and evaluate a new self-report scale – the Health Anxiety Behavior Inventory (HABI) – for the measurement of negatively reinforced health anxiety behaviours. Method: We drafted the HABI from a pool of 20 candidate items administered in a clinical trial at screening, and before and after cognitive behaviour therapy (n =204). A psychometric evaluation focused on factor structure, internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity, test–retest reliability, and sensitivity to change. Results: Based on factor analysis, the HABI was completed as a 12-item instrument with a four-dimensional factor structure corresponding to the following scales: (i) bodily preoccupation and checking , (ii) information- and reassurance-seeking , (iii) prevention and planning , and (iv) overt avoidance. Factor inter-correlations were modest. The internal consistency (α=.73–.87) and 2-week test–retest reliability (r =.75–.90) of the scales was adequate. The bodily preoccupation and checking , and information- and reassurance-seeking scales were most strongly correlated with the cognitive and emotional components of health anxiety (r =0.41, 0.48), and to a lower extent correlated to depressive symptoms and disability. Change scores in all HABI scales correlated with improvement in the cognitive and emotional components of health anxiety during cognitive behaviour therapy. Conclusions: The HABI appears to reliably measure negatively reinforced behaviours commonly seen in clinically significant health anxiety, and might be clinically useful in the treatment of health anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the frequency of anxiety disorder, coronavirus anxiety and health anxiety in tinnitus patients during the pandemic and also, determined the psychophysiological impact of COVID‐19 on tinnitus. Methods: This cross‐sectional study was conducted in a tertiary central pandemic hospital from 15 July 2021 to 15 December 2022. In total, 124 patients with tinnitus and 77 healthy controls participated in the study. The sociodemographic data, a set of valid and reliable assessment instruments were used to measure outcomes of anxiety disorder, coronavirus anxiety, health anxiety and severity of tinnitus. Results: Patients with tinnitus were found to experience higher levels of coronavirus anxiety, health anxiety and anxiety disorder than controls (p < 0.05). In tinnitus patients, the frequency of coronavirus anxiety was 22.6% and anxiety disorder was 18.5%. Notably, the levels of tinnitus severity were moderate to severe in more than half of the patients (51.6%) and also most of them (81.3%) reported that the severity of tinnitus during the pandemic was higher compared with the pre‐pandemic. Conclusion: Tinnitus patients had high levels of anxiety disorder, coronavirus anxiety and health anxiety. In line with these findings, it was evaluated that there was a relationship between the COVID‐19 pandemic with psychological problems and tinnitus. Therefore, the predominance of tinnitus symptoms at presentation should not lead the clinician to neglect the underlying psychopathological problems in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Intrusive thoughts and images in Health Anxiety are poorly understood. The current study aims to explore the rates and nature of health‐related intrusive thoughts and images in people with and without Health Anxiety. Design: We used a cross‐sectional interview and survey design recruiting 82 participants (Health Anxiety: n = 37; control: n = 45). Methods: Participants completed a diagnostic and clinical interview, and questionnaires to assess experiences and appraisals of intrusive thoughts and images about health. Results: Experiencing an intrusive thought or image was common in both groups (Health Anxiety: 89.2%, control: 55.6%). However, the Health Anxiety group reported their intrusive thoughts as more frequent, more distressing, and associated them with more negative emotions than controls. Further, the Health Anxiety group had increased negative appraisals and specific maladaptive behaviours for both intrusive thoughts and intrusive images compared to controls. Conclusions: We conclude that, relative to controls, individuals with Health Anxiety experience intrusive thoughts and images more intensely and negatively, have more dysfunctional appraisals of them, and are more likely to respond to them with specific maladaptive behaviours. As such, addressing intrusive thoughts and images as part of cognitive behavioural interventions for Health Anxiety is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with significant health anxiety may experience brain‐gut dysregulation, leading to increased visceral sensitivity and greater gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Positive affect (PA), on the other hand, may serve as a protective characteristic, buffering the negative impact of health anxiety on GI symptoms. This study investigated interrelationships between health anxiety, PA, and GI symptoms. Longitudinal data were collected on health anxiety, PA, and GI symptoms via an online survey from 861 adults at two timepoints, 4 weeks apart. Regression models were conducted to examine the moderating effect of PA at baseline on future GI symptoms. Greater health anxiety at baseline predicted GI symptoms at follow‐up, whereas higher levels of PA predicted reduced GI symptoms at follow‐up. Post hoc testing revealed that PA significantly moderated the relationship between health anxiety and GI symptoms over time, such that higher levels of PA attenuated the effect of health anxiety on belly pain, nausea and vomiting, and reflux at follow‐up. This study provides preliminary evidence PA may buffer the negative impact of health anxiety on GI symptoms. Future studies should explore whether the promotion of PA through interventions similarly attenuates health related anxiety's impact on GI symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mediterranean Nursing & Midwifery is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: This study was conducted to examine the role of cyberchondria in mediating health anxiety, fears and obsessions among Students of private medical college. Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted at department of Psychiatry & behavioural sciences and Medical OPD of Rai Medical College, Sargodha. For this purpose data was collected from 150 medical students. The Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS‑12) was used to measure cyberchondria severity and Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) scale was used to measure Anxiety in patients. The Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory – Revised (OCI‑R) scale was used to measure Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in patients. Results: Descriptive statistics (i.e. frequency distribution, percentages, mean, standard deviations, Pearson correlation and Anova) were the analytical methods to test the objectives. Results of correlational analysis showed positive but nonsignificant correlation between cyberchondria and mobile usage per day. Results of linear regression analysis indicate that cyberchondria has significant impact on health anxiety. Findings also indicate significant gender differences on health anxiety and cyberchondria, Females are more concerned about health and have more cyberchondria tendencies than males. However, non-significant difference on OCD patterns, mobile phone daily usage. Conclusion: This study shows that feeling constantly worried about your health and obsessively checking the internet for information can make you feel more anxious and stressed, and can also lower your quality of life. It also shows that cyberchondria has a great impact on health anxiety. Gender differences exist in health anxiety and cyberchondria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L'anxiété centrée sur la santé (ACS) est un problème fréquent (jusqu'à 20 % des consultants en contexte de soins secondaires) responsable d'altération de la qualité de vie, d'invalidité, de complications somatiques et psychiatriques, et contribuant à des dépenses de santé élevées à l'échelle de la population. Il est probable, sinon formellement établi, que la prévalence de l'ACS soit en augmentation, et cela peut en partie être expliqué par la médicalisation croissante de la société en général, l'appétit des media pour les questions de santé, et l'usage incontrôlé d'Internet (pouvant conduire certains sujets vulnérables à la cyberchondrie). La pandémie de Covid-19 pourrait y avoir contribué, au moins par l'augmentation significative du niveau global de détresse psychique dans la population qu'elle a engendrée, bien que cela ne soit pas formellement démontré. Le diagnostic de l'ACS en est aisé, dès lors que son évaluation est considérée comme devant faire partie de toute consultation médicale. Certaines attitudes intuitives des médecins, comme la réassurance, s'avèrent iatrogènes face aux personnes ayant un niveau élevé d'ACS. Sa prise en charge peut en être facilitée par une acculturation des somaticiens aux conceptions cognitives de l'anxiété en général et de l'ACS en particulier. L'ACS s'avère traitable efficacement par certaines psychothérapies et en première place les thérapies comportementales et cognitives (TCC), mais la disponibilité de thérapeutes formés et accessibles à moindre coût fait cruellement défaut, particulièrement en France. Health anxiety (HA) is a frequent problem (up to 20% of consultants in the context of secondary care) responsible for decreased well-being, disability, somatic and psychiatric complications, which contributes to high healthcare expenditures at the population level. It is likely, if not definitely established, that the prevalence of ACS is increasing, and this can partly be explained by the growing medicalization of society in general, the appetite of Media for health issues, and the uncontrolled use of the Internet (which can lead certain vulnerable subjects to cyberchondria). The pandemic of COVID-19 could have contributed to it, at least by the significant increase in the overall level of psychological distress in the population it has caused, although this has not formally been demonstrated to date. The diagnosis of ACS is easy, as soon as its assessment is considered as a mandatory part of any medical consultation. Certain intuitive attitudes of doctors, such as reassurance, prove to be iatrogenic for the patient with HA. The management of HA can be facilitated by an acculturation of physicians to cognitive conceptions of anxiety in general and HA in particular. HA is effectively treatable by certain psychotherapy and in the first place cognitive and behavioral therapies (CBT), but the availability of trained therapists and accessible at a lower cost is sorely lacking, particularly in France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior work suggests that cognitive biases may contribute to health anxiety. Yet there is little research investigating how biased attention, interpretation, and memory for health threats are collectively associated with health anxiety, as well as the relative importance of these cognitive processes in predicting health anxiety. This study aimed to build a prediction model for health anxiety with multiple cognitive biases as potential predictors and to identify the biased cognitive processes that best predict individual differences in health anxiety. A machine learning algorithm (elastic net) was performed to recognise the predictors of health anxiety, using various tasks of attention, interpretation, and memory measured across behavioural, self‐reported, and computational modelling approaches. Participants were 196 university students with a range of health anxiety severity from mild to severe. The results showed that only the interpretation bias for illness and the attention bias towards symptoms significantly contributed to the prediction model of health anxiety, with both biases having positive weights and the former being the most important predictor. These findings underscore the central role of illness‐related interpretation bias and suggest that combined cognitive bias modification may be a promising method for alleviating health anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The widespread use of the internet has made health information more accessible. However, it has also increased problems such as health anxiety and cyberchondria. Aim: This study aimed to assess cyberchondria levels in allergy and immunology clinic patients and examine the relationship between cyberchondria and health anxiety. Material and methods: This study was conducted on patients diagnosed with allergic disorders, chronic urticaria, hereditary angioedema (HAE), and primary immunodeficiency (PID). Cyberchondria severity was assessed using the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-12), while health anxiety was evaluated using the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI). Results: A total of 550 patients were included in the study, with 71% of the participants being female. The highest CSS-12 scores were observed in the HAE group (33.5 ±8.8), followed by the PID group (28.4 ±8.6). The allergic disorders group had the lowest level of cyberchondria severity (27.7 ±8.5). According to SHAI scores, PID and HAE groups had the highest values. A significant positive relationship was found between cyberchondria and health anxiety (r(548) = 0.416, p < 0.001). Conclusions: An increase in cyberchondria raises health anxiety and disease burden among allergy and immunology patients. Therefore, physicians should take this into account when treating these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological well-being is associated with a fulfilling life that many people strive to achieve, and the psychology literature continues to expand on the determinants of psychological well-being. This study aimed to examine the role of health anxiety, difficulty in emotion regulation, and health locus of control on psychological well-being. The study sample comprised 510 adults aged 18-53 (Mage = 32.48, SDage = 6.9). 475 participants (93.13%) were women, and 35 were men (6.87%). The participants were reached by social media channels on the Internet (Twitter, Instagram). Correlations between the subscales were examined separately for male and female participants. The results differed in terms of gender. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to determine some predictors of psychological well-being, and contrary to expectations, the results showed that health locus of control and gender did not make a significant contribution to the regression model. Health anxiety and difficulty in emotion regulation made significant contributions to the regression model, and the last model estimated 30.1% of psychological well-being. Results were discussed in the light of the related literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to provide the first comprehensive evidence on the prevalence and predictors of dropout in psychological interventions for pathological health anxiety. A database search in Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials identified 28 eligible randomized controlled trials (40 intervention conditions; 1783 participants in the intervention condition), published up to 18 June 2024. Three‐level meta‐analytic results showed a weighted average dropout rate of 9.67% (95% confidence interval [CI] [6.49%, 14.17%]), with dropout equally likely from treatment and control conditions (odds ratio = 1.07, 95% CI [0.80, 1.44]). Moderator analyses indicated no statistically significant effects of study, participant, treatment or therapist characteristics, except for the country of study. These findings suggest that the average dropout rate is relatively low compared with those reported for other mental health conditions and highlight the importance of considering cultural and societal factors when evaluating treatment adherence. Future research should continue to explore the complex and multifaceted factors influencing dropout to improve the design and implementation of psychological interventions for pathological health anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health anxiety is an intricate part of illness anxiety and somatic symptom disorder. Based on convenience samples, two out of three available studies indicate that it is a dimensional rather than a categorical construct. Using two representative datasets, this study investigates whether previous results can be clarified. Conventional taxometric analyses as well as comparison curve fit indices (CCFI) profile analyses (MAMBAC and MAXSLOPE procedures) were calculated with two datasets of the German adult population assessing the Whiteley Index (WI-14, N = 2,072; WI-7, N = 2,498). Mean CCFIs indicated a dimensional structure for both the WI-7 (mean CCFI = 0.42, mean CCFI profile = 0.40) and the WI-14 (mean CCFI = 0.44, mean CCFI profile = 0.32). The results support and extend previous findings by strongly suggesting a dimensional distribution of health anxiety in the general population. Implications for research and practice comprise the adoption of a dimensional description of psychopathology as well as transdiagnostic treatment approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: Although some researches indicate that cognitive-behavioral therapy is more effective than other treatments, but the need to compare cognitive-behavioral therapy with an approach such as acceptance and commitment-based therapy can be seen in reducing health anxiety. Aim: The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment-based therapy on health anxiety in nurses. Methods: The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test-follow-up design and a control group. The statistical population of this study included all the nurses of Hazrat Rasool Akram Hospital in Tehran in the spring of 2023, and 45 of them were selected by purposeful sampling and randomly assigned to 2 intervention and one control group. The research tools included a demographic questionnaire and a "Health Anxiety Inventory". After conducting 8 sessions of "cognitive-behavioral therapy" and 8 sessions of "acceptance and commitment-based therapy" for the intervention groups, the data were analyzed in SPSS software version 24. Results: "Cognitive behavioral therapy" and "acceptance and commitment-based therapy" were effective on health anxiety in the intervention groups (P=0.001). The mean difference in health anxiety in "cognitive-behavioral therapy" groups, "acceptance and commitment-based therapy" and control groups (P<0.01) as well as "cognitive-behavioral therapy" and "acceptance and commitment based therapy" groups (P<0.05) was significant. Conclusion: The results showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment-based therapy are effective in improving nurses' health anxiety but cognitivebehavioral therapy is more effective. It is suggested that health officials and professionals hold empowerment courses with a cognitive-behavioral approach or acceptance and commitmentbased therapy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundEmotion regulation (ER) and distress tolerance (DT) are considered transdiagnostic risk factors for a range of anxiety disorders. This study investigated the relationship between anxiety sensitivity (AS) and health anxiety (HA) in the general population, focusing on the mediating roles of DT and ER.MethodsThe study was conducted as a cross-sectional survey from October to December 2023 in Tehran Province, Iran. A total of 971 individuals participated in this study (52.8% female; mean age 39.04 years, SD=10.64). Participants completed self-report questionnaires to assess HA (The Short Health Anxiety Inventory), AS (The Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3), DT (The 15-item Distress Tolerance Scale) and ER (The 10-item Emotion Regulation Questionnaire). We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the hypothesis that DT and ER would mediate the relationship between AS and the HA.ResultsAS was modestly related to all measures (r from -0.40 to 0.55). According to the SEM analysis, AS (β = 0.45, 95%CI [0.34, 0.56]) had a significant direct effect on HA. However, the analysis of the indirect effects revealed that both DT (β = 0.10, 95% CI [0.06, 0.16]) and emotion regulation strategies—cognitive reappraisal (β = 0.06, 95% CI [0.01, 0.11]) and expressive suppression (β = 0.11, 95% CI [0.06, 0.18])—act as partial mediators in the relationship between AS and HA.ConclusionsAS plays a crucial role in predisposing individuals to HA. The mediating roles of DT and ER provide insight into the link between AS and HA. Nevertheless, the study’s cross-sectional design and reliance on a non-clinical sample limit the applicability of the results. Further research involving different samples and intervention studies is needed to validate and expand upon these findings.

After a cancer diagnosis, life is accompanied by worries, concerns and fears that the disease will recur or worsen. These can be normal and useful reactions but may also become so severe that they interfere with everyday functioning. A challenge for patient care is that the theoretical similarity of these reactions, is not consistently conceptualized in practice, hence the empirical comparability of their measures is unclear. Here we intend to show that the theoretical similarity is also empirically justified, and we present a common metric in graphical form that allows direct comparisons between different questionnaires. A total of 1,733 cancer patients completed the Fear of Progression Questionnaire Short Form, Questionnaire on Stress in Cancer Patients–revised version, Concerns About Recurrence Questionnaire, the subscales Health Distress and Negative Health Outlook of the EORTC QLQ-SURV100, and the Whiteley Index. Using a model based on item response theory, we linked the score values of the individual questionnaires. The main outcome of this study is a diagram that can be used to convert the respective values of eight questionnaires on health anxiety to another. All instruments showed a reliability above 0.75 near the mean health anxiety level. The common metric can be used to compare measurements with these questionnaires in terms of the level of health anxiety. Additionally, the reliability of the instruments can be judged at different levels of anxiety. This allows for a better comparability of test results and facilitates communication about the results among experts and with patients.

Objective: Health anxiety, also known as hypochondriasis, is a common psychiatric disorder which leads to considerable distress and is associated with high societal costs. Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) for health anxiety has demonstrated efficacy in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), but there is limited knowledge regarding its effectiveness in real-world settings. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of guided ICBT for health anxiety in routine psychiatric care, including symptom change, treatment adherence, and potential negative effects. Additionally, we explored predictors of treatment adherence. Method: A longitudinal cohort study of 447 patients enrolled in 12 weeks of ICBT for health anxiety between 2018 and 2020 in an outpatient psychiatric clinic specializing in ICBT. Primary outcome measure was the 14-item Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI-14) and a within-group design with repeated measures was utilized for the primary analysis. Results: Participants showed significant improvements from pre- to post-treatment (d = 1.61). At post-treatment, 60 % (95 % CI 58–62) demonstrated statistically reliable change (RCI), and 44 % (95 % CI 42–46) were in remission. On average, participants completed 7 (SD = 4) out of 12 treatment modules. For each additional completed module, the mean reduction was 0.31 (95 % CI 0.10 to 0.54) points on the SHAI-14. Conclusions: Guided ICBT for health anxiety can be effective when delivered within the context of routine psychiatric care. The study suggests that effect sizes are comparable with those in RCTs and higher treatment adherence is associated with better outcomes in health anxiety. ICBT could be used to increase availability to effective therapy for health anxiety.

Abstract Background and aim Health anxiety is a mental disorder that characterized by an excessive fear about health and physical symptoms. High anxiety in pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prenatal education on health anxiety of primigravid women. Methods The present study was quasi-experimental study. 122 primiparous pregnant women referred to comprehensive health services Shahrekord (A city in the southwest of Iran) clinics in 2019, after receiving consent to participate in the study, randomly divided into two intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in 8 sessions (1.5-h), once every 2 weeks, from 20 to 37th weeks of gestation. The health anxiety questionnaire was completed on 20th (before the beginning of the courses), 28th and 37th weeks by two groups. Consequences of pregnancy included weight, Apgar score, delivery type, labor time and first breastfeeding time. SPSS version 16 software was used for data analysis. Results No significant difference was found type of delivery, gestational age, height, weight, head length, Apgar score, duration of hospitalization and first breastfeeding time. The duration of the active and latent phase of labor was significantly lower and the weight of newborn was significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group (P

Cyberchondria didefinisikan sebagai pencarian berlebihan atau berulang untuk informasi terkait kesehatan di internet yang mengakibatkan tekanan dan/atau kecemasan. Namun, dalam perkembangannya, masih belum jelas apakah health anxiety merupakan pemicu pencarian informasi kesehatan di internet yang berlebihan dan/atau health anxiety muncul setelah melakukan pencarian informasi kesehatan di internet yang berlebihan tersebut. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah tinjauan literatur naratif dengan tujuan untuk merangkum dan menganalisis penelitian terkait health anxiety dan cyberchondria. Hasil tinjauan literatur ini menemukan bahwa terdapat hubungan sedang hingga tinggi antara health anxiety dan cyberchondria. Namun, hubungan timbal balik ini tidak dapat ditemukan dalam subsampel individu yang cemas secara klinis. Artinya, cyberchondria dapat dijelaskan sebagai fenomena yang mungkin muncul pada individu dengan tingkat kecemasan kesehatan non-klinis, daripada karakteristik individu yang cemas kesehatan secara klinis. Oleh karena itu, diperlukan penelitian empiris lebih lanjut untuk mengeksplorasi hubungan dan pengaruh health anxiety terhadap cyberchondria dalam sampel yang lebih spesifik.

Abstract Background With the conflict between the promise of ageing in health and longevity and the limited availability of health resources and social support, older adults in China inevitably experience anxieties surrounding health risks. This study aims to investigate how older adults perceive the health risks that come with getting older, explore the degree to which health risks affect older adults, and advocate for active engagement in practices for managing health risks. Methods Using purposive sampling, three districts of Beijing (Xicheng District, Fengtai District, and Daxing District, respectively) were selected for the research. Qualitative semi-structured and in-depth interviews were conducted with 70 community-dwelling older adults who participated in the study. Data were extracted and analyzed based on a thematic framework approach. Results Three main themes were identified: (i) the anxieties of older adults concerning health risks in ageing; (ii) the priorities of older adults for health risk management in ageing; (iii) the expectations of older adults for health risk management in ageing. The primary health concerns among older adults included disease incidence and function decline. It was found that basic health management emerged as a critical need for older adults to mitigate health risks. Moreover, it was observed that healthcare support for older adults from familial, institutional, and governmental levels exhibited varying degrees of inadequacy. Conclusions The primary source of anxieties among older adults regarding health risks predominantly stems from a perceived sense of health deprivation. It is often compounded by persistent barriers to primary care of priorities in managing health risks among older adults. In addition, the expectations of older adults for health risk management emphasize the necessity for integrated care approaches. Therefore, further research should give priority to the prevention and management of health risks, aim to reduce anxieties, provide integrated care to meet the primary needs and expectations of older adults, and ultimately strive toward the overarching goal of promoting health and longevity.

The covid-19 pandemic has influenced children and parents worldwide. The pandemic has also been suggested to especially affect and exacerbate health anxiety (HA) symptoms in children and adolescents. However, there is limited understanding of the potential mechanisms challenges of families where parents themselves experience mental health issues such as high degree of HA symptoms.

To examine the content specificity of threat-related attentional bias in health anxiety, we applied the drift-diffusion model (DDM) to investigate attentional bias toward three types of threat stimuli (general threat, illness, and symptom words). We recruited 53 undergraduates with severe health anxiety (the health anxiety group, HAG) and 53 controls (the control group, CG) to complete the dot-probe task. We calculated traditional bias scores and non-decision time (a DDM parameter) bias scores, and they were subjected to a 2 (Group: HAG, CG) × 3 (Threat: general threat, illness, and symptom words) mixed-design ANOVA. The Group × Threat interaction was non-significant on the traditional bias score. However, the results of DDM analyses showed that the Group × Threat interaction was significant; HAG had a significantly lower score for illness stimuli (a negative value) than CG, but symptom stimuli and general threat stimuli did not produce significant group differences. In conclusions, health-anxious individuals displayed attentional avoidance of illness stimuli but no attentional bias toward symptom stimuli and general threat stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Health anxiety is a mental disorder that characterized by an excessive fear about health and physical symptoms. High anxiety in pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prenatal education on health anxiety of primigravid women. Methods: The present study was quasi-experimental study. 122 primiparous pregnant women referred to comprehensive health services Shahrekord (A city in the southwest of Iran) clinics in 2019, after receiving consent to participate in the study, randomly divided into two intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in 8 sessions (1.5-h), once every 2 weeks, from 20 to 37th weeks of gestation. The health anxiety questionnaire was completed on 20th (before the beginning of the courses), 28th and 37th weeks by two groups. Consequences of pregnancy included weight, Apgar score, delivery type, labor time and first breastfeeding time. SPSS version 16 software was used for data analysis. Results: No significant difference was found type of delivery, gestational age, height, weight, head length, Apgar score, duration of hospitalization and first breastfeeding time. The duration of the active and latent phase of labor was significantly lower and the weight of newborn was significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group (P < 0.05). At 37th week, the scores of illness concern, negative consequence and total health anxiety in the intervention group decreased by 3.42, 0.93 and 4.36 respectively and in control group increased by 2.82, 0.03 and 2.86. Conclusion: Pregnancy educational courses has positive effects on health anxiety, decrease duration of labor time and increased newborn weight. In order to improve the outcome of pregnancy, educational classes during pregnancy should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to examine the relationship between family history of diabetes, irrational beliefs, and health anxiety in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Method: ATTICA is a prospective, cohort study (2002–2012). The working sample included 845 participants (18–89 years), free of diabetes at baseline. Α detailed biochemical, clinical, and lifestyle evaluation was performed, while participants' irrational beliefs and health anxiety were assessed through the Irrational Beliefs Inventory and the Whiteley index scale, respectively. We evaluated the association between the participants' family history of diabetes mellitus with the 10-year risk of diabetes mellitus, both in the total study's sample and separately according to their levels of health anxiety and irrational beliefs. Results: The crude 10-year risk of T2DM was 12.9% (95%CI: 10.4, 15.4), with 191 cases of T2DM. Family history of diabetes was associated with 2.5 times higher odds (2.53, 95%CI 1.71, 3.75) of T2DM compared to those without family history. Among participants with family history of diabetes, the highest likelihood of developing T2DM, regarding their tested psychological features (i.e., low/high irrational beliefs in the entire group, low/high health anxiety in the entire group, and low/high irrational beliefs, low/high healthy anxiety), had people with high irrational beliefs, low health anxiety (OR 3.70, 95%CI 1.83, 7.48). Conclusions: The findings underline the important moderating role of irrational beliefs and health anxiety in the prevention of T2DM, among participants at increased risk of T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To support investigation of the etiology and psychophysiology of medical traumatic stress, we developed a standardized set of emotionally-salient medical images, called the 'MEDical Image Collection' (MEDIC), for use in neuroimaging or psychological research. This study aimed to establish internal consistency, test re-test reliability, and congruent validity of the image set. A representative sample of 300 adults in the United States were recruited via research recruitment platform, Prolific. Participants rated 124 images depicting medical stimuli on one of two dimensions: emotional arousal (i.e., how strongly an evoked emotion is felt) or affective valence (i.e., how positive or negative the evoked emotion is). Sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, including experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, were also assessed. To assess test re-test reliability, a subset (n = 200) rated the images on the same dimension a second time, 3 months later. The MEDIC image set was found to: (a) elicit a range of emotional arousal and valence ratings, (b) have excellent inter-rater reliability, (c) moderate test-retest reliability, and (d) good face validity. Results indicate the new MEDIC 124-image set is a reliable and valid instrument, enabling researchers to provide context-specific and emotionally-salient stimuli to individuals when studying affective responses in relation to health and medicine. • MEDIC is a newly developed image set (124 images) of medical stimuli for research into medical traumatic stress and anxiety. • MEDIC elicited a wide range of emotional arousal and valence ratings in a sample of 300 adults. • The MEDIC image set was found to have excellent inter-rater reliability and moderate test-retest reliability. • We demonstrated the sensitivity of the MEDIC image set to medical experiences. • MEDIC can be accessed for use by contacting the study team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: The use of online search engines to "google" health‐related information is common in health anxiety, and requires careful consideration within psychological treatment. Its nature in older adult populations is less closely understood. This report demonstrates the reduction in googling frequency using cognitive‐behavioral therapy in an 83‐year‐old female with health anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathological health anxiety (PHA) (e.g., hypochondriasis and illness anxiety disorder) is common in medical settings and associated with increased healthcare costs. However, the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms contributing to the development and maintenance of PHA are incompletely understood. We performed a systematic review to characterize the mechanistic understanding of PHA. PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase databases were searched to find articles published between 1/1/1990 and 12/31/2022 employing a behavioral task and/or physiological measures in individuals with hypochondriasis, illness anxiety disorder, and PHA more broadly. Out of 9141 records identified, fifty-seven met inclusion criteria. Article quality varied substantially across studies, and was overall inadequate. Cognitive, behavioral, and affective findings implicated in PHA included health-related attentional and memory recall biases, a narrow health concept, threat confirming thought patterns, use of safety-seeking behaviors, and biased explicit and implicit affective processing of health-related information among other observations. There is initial evidence supporting a potential overestimation of interoceptive stimuli in those with PHA. Neuroendocrine, electrophysiology, and brain imaging research in PHA are particularly in their early stages. Included articles evaluated PHA categorically, suggesting that sub-threshold and dimensional health anxiety considerations are not contextualized. Within an integrated cognitive-behavioral-affective and predictive processing formulation, we theorize that sub-optimal illness and health concepts, altered interoceptive modeling, biased illness-based predictions and attention, and aberrant prediction error learning are mechanisms relevant to PHA requiring more research. Comprehensively investigating the pathophysiology of PHA offers the potential to identify adjunctive diagnostic biomarkers and catalyze new biologically-informed treatments. • Systematic review of mechanistic studies in pathological health anxiety. • Cognitive, behavioral and affective constructs are implicated. • Neurobiological research in pathological health anxiety remains limited. • A predictive processing framework for pathological health anxiety is offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and purpose: Covid-19 pandemic causes psychological and emotional turbulence and emergence of anxiety in many people in the society. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of Positive psychotherapy on the health anxiety and cognitive fusion in the women with the Covid-19 pandemic anxiety. Material and methods: the present study was quasi-experimental with pretest, posttest and control group design and two-month follow-up stage. The statistical population of the present study included the women with Covid-19 pandemic anxiety in the city of Isfahan in the second six months of 2020. 32 women with Covid-19 anxiety were selected through purposive sampling method and were randomly accommodated into experimental and control groups (each group of 32 women). The experimental group received eigh seventy-five-minute positive psychotherapy sessions online (Barlo et.al, 2011). The applied questionnaires in this study included Covid-19 anxiety questionnaire (Ali Pour et.al, 2019), health anxiety questionnaire (Salkovskis, Warwick, 2002 and cognitive fusion questionnaire (Gillanders et al, 2010). The data from the study were analyzed through repeated measurement ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc test. Findings: the results showed that the Positive psychotherapy has significant effect on the health anxiety and cognitive fusion of the women with the Covid-19 pandemic anxiety (p<0.001) and succeeded in the reduce health anxiety and cognitive fusion in these women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectivesMethodsResultsConclusionsClinical ImplicationsHealth-related factors, such as health status, health anxiety, and health literacy, are established contributors to self-efficacy. However, the relationship between electronic health literacy and self-efficacy is less known. The present study examined the role of electronic health literacy in relation to self-efficacy among community-dwelling older adults.Cross-sectional survey data were collected in the United States between September 2022 and March 2023. The survey dataset consisted of 191 responses from individuals in the United States who were ages 65 or older. It provided information about survey respondents’ sociodemographic status, perceived health status, health anxiety, electronic health literacy, and self-efficacy. Hierarchical linear regression was conducted to analyze the data.Electronic health literacy was positively related to self-efficacy, and health anxiety was negatively related to self-efficacy, with sociodemographic status and perceived health status controlled.The results indicate that electronic health literacy can be a source of self-efficacy among community-dwelling older adults.Improving older adults’ electronic health literacy may help them maintain self-efficacy, and the improvement should be made, especially in the domains of evaluating health information found on the internet and making decisions based on the information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]