The role of personality types in the effect of cyberchondria on complementary alternative medicine

Cyberchondria is a mental condition caused by persons who are anxious about their health and are always seeking for information online. Furthermore, today's organic lifestyle and desire to avoid all types of chemical and processed items are driving interest in traditional complementary alternative medicine. Individuals' personality features are useful in all aspects of their lives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the regulating role of personality types in the effect of individuals' cyberchondria levels on traditional complementary and alternative medicine. This study used the relational survey model, a quantitative research method, to collect data from 602 participants over the age of 18 in Elazığ province. The convenience sampling method was utilized in the investigation. The study used three separate measuring tools: the "Cyberchondria Severity Scale", the "Attitude Towards Holistic Complementary Alternative Medicine Scale", and the "Five Factor Personality Types Scale". After organizing the data collected using data collecting methods, it was uploaded to the SPSS package program, where descriptive statistics, reliability, exploratory factor analysis, correlation, regression, and hierarchical regression (Hayes Macro Model 1) analyses were done. The analysis of the data obtained as a result of the field application revealed that the level of cyberchondria influences the tendency towards holistic complementary alternative medicine, and that the sub-dimensions of excessiveness and distrust in the doctor from the sub-dimensions of cyberchondria have an effect on the attitude toward holistic complementary alternative medicine. The impact of cyberchondria severity on attitude toward holistic health, one of the sub-dimensions of the attitude toward holistic complementary alternative medicine scale, was investigated. Furthermore, it was discovered that cyberchondria dimensions of tension, excessiveness, alleviation, and medical skepticism had an impact on overall health. The investigation revealed that personality types did not play a regulatory function in the relationship between cyberchondria and attitudes toward holistic supplemental alternative medicine. Participants' level of cyberchondria severity influences their preference for traditional complementary and alternative therapy. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in participant perceptions of attitudes toward cyberchondria and holistic supplementary alternative medicine based on demographic variables.