Hypochondriasis and self-medication among medical sciences students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A descriptive cross-sectional study in Northwestern Iran

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Increased fear and anxiety among the general public following the emergence of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) can lead to hypochondriasis as well as indiscriminate use of drugs, versus the disease. OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted to identify the frequency and causes of self-medication and hypochondriasis among students. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 241 students of different disciplines of Khalkhal University of Medical Sciences in northwestern Iran over a period of six months. SPSS 26 software, Chi-square and Fisher tests were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The rate of self-medication was calculated 51%. The highest rate of self-medication was in the form of tablets (75.6%) and capsules (28.5%) and the highest type of medication was herbal medicine (59.3%) and multivitamins and complementary drugs (54.5%). The most common cause of self-medication was previous use and the effectiveness of the drug in the past (79.7%). The mean score of hypochondriasis was calculated at 21.52 (11.02) and the majority of students (49.8%) were in the healthy group. There was a statistically significant association between hypochondriasis and self-medication (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Based on the findings, more than half of the participants in the study had self-medication. About 20% of students also experienced mild to moderate hypochondriasis. Therefore, it is suggested that the necessary training and support be provided to deal with the side effects of these two phenomena.