ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2025
Impact of Cyberchondria on Health and Quality of Life: Scoping Review.
Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Alexithymia and Cyberchondria: A Scoping Review with Implications for Healthcare Contexts.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Cyberchondria and complexity: a systems-level exploration of anxiety and informational instability in the digital age.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCyberchondria 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.
objectiveThis study aims to consolidate current research, identify key trends, and examine how cyberchondria affects QoL, while providing insights for future research directions.
methodsThe literature search was conducted on 4 databases PsycINFO, PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science. The review was restricted to peer-reviewed journals published in English from inception to October 9, 2025. The inclusion criteria were as follows (1) original studies examining health-related factors associated with cyberchondria, (2) participants of any demographic, and (3) English-language full texts. Studies were excluded if they assessed health anxiety as a representation of cyberchondria. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cross-sectional studies was used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. Narrative analysis was used for data synthesis. This review was reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist.
resultsA total of 9483 records were identified from 4 databases, with 87 studies meeting the inclusion criteria for this review. All of the included studies used a cross-sectional design. Most of the included studies were rated as moderate risk (54.4%) to low risk (36.7%). Correlations were found between cyberchondria and QoL domains, including physical health (eg, pain and discomfort, sleep quality), psychological health (eg, anxiety, fear, negative feelings or emotions, anxiety sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and depression), level of independence (eg, usual or daily activities, and mobility), social relationship (eg, personal relationship, communication, and social support), environment (eg, eHealth literacy and financial satisfaction), and behavior (eg, addictive behavior).
conclusionsThis scoping review synthesizes key risk factors and challenges influencing the QoL in individuals with cyberchondria. The findings emphasize the need for clinicians to adopt a holistic approach to assess and manage cyberchondria, addressing its multifaceted impact on QoL.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.