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Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-12)

Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-12) Test

In 3 minutes, see how online symptom searching may fuel health anxiety. This brief 12-item check gives clear, actionable insight for screening and tracking change.

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Questions: 123 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

27,925 views

2,022 completions

1,621 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

14/15

Compulsivity (C)

Measures how difficult it is to control online health-information searching when it becomes repetitive and interferes with daily activities.

Low

Moderate

High

3 – 7: Low | 8 – 11: Moderate | 12 – 15: High

A score of 14 falls in the High range, indicating very frequent and hard-to-control health-related searching that is likely to disrupt other activities.

example score

10/15

Reassurance-Seeking (RS)

Measures how strongly a person seeks professional confirmation of symptoms after searching for health information online.

Low

Moderate

High

3 – 7: Low | 8 – 11: Moderate | 12 – 15: High

A score of 10 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable tendency to want reassurance from professionals after online symptom searches.

example score

8/15

Distress (D)

Measures the intensity of negative emotions (e.g., anxiety, panic, irritability) triggered by searching for medical information online.

Low distress

Moderate distress

High distress

3 – 6: Low distress | 7 – 11: Moderate distress | 12 – 15: High distress

A score of 8 falls in the Moderate distress range, suggesting noticeable but not extreme negative emotional reactions during online health searches.

example score

5/15

Excessiveness (E)

Measures how repeatedly a person searches for health information online across multiple sessions.

Low

Moderate

High

3 – 6: Low | 7 – 11: Moderate | 12 – 15: High

A score of 5 falls in the Low range, suggesting relatively infrequent repetition of online medical searches.

example score

31/60

Cyberchondria Severity (CS)

Measures the overall severity of cyberchondria, reflecting how strongly online health-information searching is linked to anxiety and stress.

Low

Moderate

High

12 – 27: Low | 28 – 43: Moderate | 44 – 60: High

A score of 31 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable tendency toward repeated online symptom checking that can be accompanied by increased worry or tension.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Worried symptom googlers

46%OF USERS

People who frequently search symptoms online and end up feeling more anxious, confused, or panicked afterward.

Anxiety-prone health checkers

34%OF USERS

People with general anxiety or health anxiety who use the test to see whether online medical searching is feeding their worries.

Clinicians and researchers

20%OF USERS

Psychologists, psychotherapists, and survey teams who use the scale to screen, monitor, or study cyberchondria in groups.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

What You’ll See After You Finish the Test

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

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AI-Powered
Interpretation

A structured, clinically grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation — without alarmist language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how you compare to others. Your scores are placed in a statistical context, showing percentiles and trends based on anonymized platform data to help you understand what`s typical.

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Recommendations

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AI-Detected
Insights

Key patterns you might not notice on your own. Surfacing subtle connections in your responses that help you better understand what may be driving your current results.

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Clarify, reflect, and explore right away. Talk through your outcomes, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue environment.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you finish the test, your results will be compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of the benchmarks we use to place your score in context.

Compulsiveness (C)

Average

11.4

Normal range

9.9 — 12.8

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Insecurity (I)

Average

10.6

Normal range

8.6 — 12.5

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Distress (D)

Average

10.5

Normal range

8.5 — 12.5

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Excessiveness (E)

Average

10.5

Normal range

8.6 — 12.4

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Severity of Cyberchondria (SoC)

Average

29.2

Normal range

21 — 37.4

min.

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures the extent to which online symptom searching becomes repetitive and increases health-related distress. It focuses on patterns of searching, checking, and escalation of worry.

How should responses be rated?

Each item should be rated based on typical experiences rather than rare events. Select the option that best matches usual reactions to searching for health information online.

How long does it take to complete?

Completion typically takes about 3 minutes. The questionnaire includes 12 items.

Does the score provide a medical diagnosis?

No, results indicate severity of cyberchondria-related behaviors and distress, not a medical condition. Interpretation should be combined with clinical evaluation when used in healthcare settings.

What is the difference between this version and the earlier longer version?

This version is a shortened revision designed to improve clarity and efficiency. It excludes items focused on distrust of doctors, which did not consistently improve overall assessment.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-12) Test - Symptoms and Signs

hypochondria cyberpsychology health

This self-report measure assesses the severity of distress and impairment related to excessive online health-information searching. The Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-12) is commonly used as a brief screening tool to quantify cyberchondria-related behaviors and associated anxiety symptoms.

The instrument contains 12 items and typically requires about 3 minutes to complete. Items ask respondents to rate the frequency or intensity of experiences such as repetitive searching, escalating worry after searching, and difficulty disengaging from health-related information.

Developed by D. Berle and V. Starcevic, the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-12) can be used in clinical and research settings to support symptom monitoring and to inform case formulation when problematic health-related internet use is suspected. Scores should be interpreted in context and are not a stand-alone diagnostic indicator.

Author: D. Berle, V. Starcevic

Literature: Taylor, S., & Asmundson, G. J. G. Health anxiety: Clinical and research perspectives on hypochondriasis and related conditions. Wiley. 2004.; Starcevic, V., & Berle, D. Cyberchondria: Towards a better understanding of excessive health-related Internet use. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 2013.; McElroy, E., & Shevlin, M. The development and initial validation of the cyberchondria severity scale (CSS). Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 2014.; McElroy, E., Shevlin, M., Kearney, M., Touhey, J., Evans, J., & Cooke, Y. The CSS-12: Development and validation of a short-form version of the cyberchondria severity scale. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking. 2019.

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