JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Cyberchondria is often associated with psychological distress, straining doctor-patient relationships, and financial burdens. Over the past few decades, increasing research has explored its associations with quality of life (QoL). However, existing reviews have not comprehensively synthesized or narratively analyzed these connections.

Objective:

This systematic scoping review aims to consolidate current research, identify key trends, and examine how cyberchondria affects QoL and health outcomes, while providing insights for future research directions.

Methods:

This review adheres to the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted for peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, and reports exploring the relationships between cyberchondria, QoL, and health outcomes, published from database inception to 2024. A validated search strategy was applied across four databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science) and gray literature sources. An iterative process was employed to enhance intercoder reliability during data extraction.

Results:

A total of 38 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review, all of which employed a cross-sectional design. The majority of studies targeted the general population. The studies exhibited significant variability in demographic characteristics, including age, gender proportion, education levels, and the percentage reporting a diagnosed disease. A positive correlation was found between cyberchondria and multi-dimensional QoL, including physical health (e.g., somatic symptoms, sleep quality), mental health (e.g., stress, self-esteem, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anxiety sensitivity, health anxiety, coronavirus anxiety, depression), and social well-being (e.g., social functioning, social relationship). Herein, cognitive factors (e.g., emotional dysregulation, affective responses) and health-related behaviors (e.g., internet addiction) performed as mediators.

Conclusions:

In conclusion, the poor multi-dimensional QoL represents an underlying burden or risk factor for individuals experiencing cyberchondria. Further studies that enhance methodological quality and focus on physical health and social well-being are needed to better understand the mechanisms and those correlations in this field.