Social Psychiatry, Vol. 50 No. 3, 2022.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.24869/spsih.2022.297
Relationship Between Situation Perception, Anxiety and some Aspects of Cyber Behaviour During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Matea Bodrožić Selak
orcid.org/0000-0003-0697-3631
; Catholic University of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
Anita Vulić-Prtorić
; University of Zadar, Zadar, Croatia
Paola Sturnela
; Selekcija.hr, Split, Croatia
Abstract
The coronavirus pandemic is an inevitable topic nowadays, both in the media and our everyday conversations. At the very
beginning, the pandemic was a kind of acute stress and it seemed that it would pass quickly. However, over time, it turned
into chronic stress. Like any other chronic stress, this pandemic has left, and is still leaving significant consequences for mental
health. Accordingly, the objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between situation perception (severity and
vulnerability), anxiety, and some aspects of cyber behaviour – nomophobia and cyberchondria. The research was conducted
of two measurement points (in the first and fourth week since the start of the pandemic, more precisely from March 13 to
20 and April 3 to 10, 2020), on a sample of male and female students in the Republic of Croatia (N1=358; N2=196). For the
purposes of this study, the following measurement instruments were used: The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Nomophobia
Questionnaire, and Short Cyberchondria Scale. Results of the study suggest those individuals who perceive their vulnerability
as greater and the situation as more serious experience higher levels of anxiety, nomophobia, and cyberchondria. Furthemore,
the results indicate that students who experience more anxiety symptoms also experience higher levels of nomophobia, or
cyberchondria. By examining the role of anxiety in explaining the connection between the perception of the situation and
behaviour related to the use of digital technology, it was shown that anxiety is a partial mediator when the source variable
is nomophobia, and a complete mediator in the model where cyberchondria is the source variable.
Keywords
Coronavirus; Perception of Situation; Anxiety; Nomophobia; Cyberchondria
Hrčak ID:
292587
URI
Publication date:
31.1.2023.
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