Defensive Functioning and Cyberchondria During the COVID‐19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of COVID‐19‐Related Fears

Cyberchondria refers to excessive engagement in searching for health information on the Internet, leading to increased levels of anxiety. Previous research has shown that COVID-19-related fears were associated with increased cyberchondria during the COVID-19 pandemic. From a psychodynamic perspective, defense mechanisms have a critical role in emotional responses to adverse experiences. The present study aimed to investigate the relationships among defensive functioning, COVID-19-related fears, and cyberchondria in young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 369 young adults (81.6% female), aged 18–30 years (M = 24.1; SD = 2.83), completed self-report instruments assessing the degree of maturity of defensive functioning, COVID-19-related fears, and cyberchondria. A mediation model was computed to examine the mediating role of COVID-19-related fears in the relationship between overall defensive functioning (ODF) and cyberchondria. Results showed that the maturity of defensive functioning was negatively associated with cyberchondria and that COVID-19-related fears mediated this association. Our findings suggest that individuals with less mature defensive functioning may experience higher levels of COVID-19-related fears, and that cyberchondria may constitute a maladaptive strategy for coping with COVID-19-related fears. Clinical interventions aimed at improving the capacity to modulate one’s reactions to health-related threatening events might reduce dysfunctional engagement in online health searches among young adults with less mature defensive functioning.