An examination of the relationship between ınternet addiction, cyberchondria, and psychological well-being among university students

As the Internet has become more widespread, psychological issues such as cyberchondria and Internet addiction have turned into a major concern among adults. Cyberchondria is associated with increased anxiety levels while searching for health-related information online and can have adverse effects on mental health. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships among cyberchondria, Internet addiction, and psychological well-being among university students. The study group consists of 572 students attending Çağ University and Çukurova University. A demographic information form, the Internet Addiction Scale, the Short-Form Cyberchondria Severity Scale, and the Psychological Well-Being Scale were administered to collect data. In the analyses, the relationships among continuous variables were examined through Pearson correlation analysis, linear regression, and Hayes's (2013) PROCESS Model 4 in SPSS (hierarchical regression). By using PROCESS, total, indirect, and direct effect scores were obtained to evaluate the influence of the mediating variable. Independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and post hoc (Tukey, LSD) analyses were employed to determine differences in scale scores based on the descriptive characteristics of the students. The findings revealed a significant negative relationship between Internet addiction and psychological well-being, and a significant positive relationship between cyberchondria and Internet addiction among university students. However, no significant relationship was found between cyberchondria and psychological well-being. Additionally, no statistically significant difference was observed in psychological well-being levels between female and male participants with respect to gender. It is believed that these results will make an important contribution to the development of effective intervention strategies for mental health professionals and the wider community regarding cyberchondria, excessive Internet use, and psychological well-being. Moreover, given that cyberchondria is a relatively new concept in the literature, this research is expected to shed light on future studies.