Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-15) Test

People who repeatedly check symptoms online may want a clearer picture of how that habit affects worry, trust, and daily routines. The Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-15) Test offers a structured self-report profile rather than a simple yes-or-no label. By organizing these domains, this cyberchondria test helps readers identify which parts of online health research feel most persistent or disruptive.

What This Assessment Explores

These dimensions cover online medical-information searching, trust, emotion, and daily interference:

• Reassurance Seeking (3-15) measures seeking professional confirmation or refutation; Low 3-6, Moderate 7-11, High 12-15.
• Distrust of Physicians (3-15) measures conflict between medical advice and online research; Low distrust 3-7, Moderate distrust 8-11, High distrust 12-15.
• Excessiveness (3-15) measures frequent, repetitive searching; Low 3-7, Moderate 8-11, High 12-15.
• Distress (3-15) measures anxiety, worry, and tension after health information; Low distress 3-7, Moderate 8-11, High 12-15.
• Compulsiveness (3-15) measures difficulty restraining searches; Low 3-7, Moderate 8-11, High 12-15.
• Cyberchondria Severity (15-75) measures the overall tendency to search for and interpret medical information online, with anxiety and health doubts; Low 15-34, Moderate 35-54, High 55-75.

Methodology and Evidence Base

Each item uses a five-point agreement scale from Strongly disagree to Strongly agree. Respondents rate reactions and behaviors such as symptom checking, alarm at serious possibilities, discussions with clinicians, and interference with daily activity. As an online self-report assessment, the format describes degree and pattern rather than producing a pass-or-fail result.

The published Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-15) is a cyberchondria scale retaining five related domains, while the broader CSS framework addresses problematic online health-related research. This questionnaire is conceptually consistent with that work, but it is not an adaptation of the published instrument.

The result displays five component scores and an overall score; each is interpreted using its stated range and result band. Higher values represent stronger endorsement of each tendency. The displayed bands organize interpretation here and are not universal clinical cutoffs or population norms. Current symptoms, stress, attention, and honesty about checking can influence self-report, so the result is a snapshot of online health-information behavior rather than a diagnosis.