Health experts are cautioning about a growing issue among Brits fueled by the internet.
The ease of conducting online self-diagnoses has given rise to a condition known as ‘cyberchondria’, a phenomenon stemming from relying heavily on ‘Dr Google’. Similar to hypochondria, which involves constant health-related anxiety even in the absence of serious medical concerns, cyberchondria results from an excessive focus on health that escalates into anxiety.
In the year 2023, adults in the UK alone executed close to 50 million health-related searches on Google. Studies indicate that two out of five individuals end up diagnosing themselves with severe illnesses after searching for their symptoms online.
While being vigilant and health-conscious can be beneficial for early disease detection, experts are highlighting a significant drawback. Health anxiety is projected to cost the NHS over £420 million annually, and if unchecked, it can lead to severe consequences.
Mark Burdon, a pharmacist and advisor to the Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB), representing firms producing over-the-counter medications, expressed concerns about cyberchondria. He stated, “Cyberchondria, also known as illness anxiety disorder, presents a genuine challenge characterized by excessive online health information searches. This behavior can result in individuals convincing themselves that a mere headache indicates a brain tumor or minor indigestion signals an impending heart attack.”
Professor David Veale, a consultant psychiatrist at two London hospitals and co-author of Overcoming Health Anxiety, highlighted the shift towards online health information seeking. He mentioned, “Previously, people used encyclopedias, consulted family or friends, or visited various healthcare providers. However, now, obtaining information online within seconds has become effortless. The challenge lies in the fact that the more information we gather, the higher the likelihood of encountering ambiguous data that fuels doubts.”
Although cyberchondria is not officially recognized as a medical condition, researchers are increasingly acknowledging its significance. A study from Florida State University in 2018 revealed that cyberchondria is associated with greater functional impairment and healthcare utilization compared to traditional health anxiety, posing a potential public health burden.
Individuals diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are particularly prone to cyberchondria. A review in 2023 described cyberchondria as an escalating concern and questioned whether excessive symptom searching should be classified as a behavioral addiction similar to gambling, shopping, or pornography.
A comprehensive study published in the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry in 2020 analyzed numerous reports of cyberchondria worldwide. Researchers from the UK, Australia, and other countries noted that ‘cyberchondria’ is likely to become a growing public health issue due to the expanding use of the internet.
Recent observations have linked ‘cyberchondria’ to an increase in young individuals seeking medical attention for conditions that could have been managed at home.
The PAGB discovered that Generation Z and millennials are three times more likely than those above 65 to seek a GP appointment for minor health issues. Additionally, the study indicated that nearly