Prevalence and Impact of Cyberchondria among Dental Students - An Evaluative Study.

INTRODUCTION In the present day, the internet has emerged as a critical instrument in the daily routine. Nevertheless, an inordinate amount of online research and investigation regarding health-related matters may have a detrimental effect. The term 'cyberchondria' has been employed to denote an elevated level of anxiety regarding one's health status as a consequence of conducting an inordinate amount of online research.

MATERIALS AND METHODS The questionnaire was disseminated to 652 undergraduate dental students from two colleges in Sri Ganganagar. The questionnaire for the Cyberchondria Severity Scale-Short Form (CSS-15) and socio-demographic information were included in the survey instrument. Microsoft Office and IBM SPSS Statistics software (Version 25, IBM Inc., Armonk, NY, USA) were employed to conduct data analysis. The threshold for statistical significance was established at P < 0.05.

RESULTS The subscales Distress (P = 0.04), Reassurance (P = 0.012), Mistrust (P = 0.008), and Excessiveness (P = <0.01) exhibited a highly statistically significant difference, with a higher mean score among intern's dental students (R = 7.6 ± 1.9; M = 7.0 ± 1.6). Significant positive correlations were observed between higher CSS scores and gender (correlation coefficient = 0.095, P = 0.015) and having a family member with a medical illness (correlation coefficient = 0.109, P = 0.005).

CONCLUSION There is an increasing concern regarding cyberchondria, which has the potential to induce anxiety and distress and has a detrimental effect on the mental health of individuals in developing countries.