THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FEAR OF COVID-19 AND LEVELS OF CYBERCHONDRIA AND EVALUATION OF AFFECTING FACTORS

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic exceeds the level of anxiety in some subjects and turns into fear, which causes an increase in the level of cyberchondria. This study was conducted the relationship between fear of covid-19 and levels of cyberchondria and evaluation of affecting factors. Subject and Methods: This research, which was planned as a descriptive-correlational study, was carried out with 311 volunteers aged 18-65 years, who could be reached through Google Forms. Results: It has been found that cyberchondria and fear of COVID-19 are affected by stataments containing some sociodemographic and medical histories of subjects’. Fear of coronavirus significantly and positively predicted cyberchondria (β=0.37, p<0.001). Conclusions: As a result of the study, it was determined that subjects’cyberchondria levels increased together with their fear of COVID-19. © Medicinska naklada & Pro mente, Zagreb, Croatia.