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Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings
Published in: Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings 3-4/2017

01-12-2017

Psychological Predictors of Health Anxiety in Response to the Zika Virus

Authors: Shannon M. Blakey, Jonathan S. Abramowitz

Published in: Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings | Issue 3-4/2017

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Abstract

The threat of a United States (U.S.) Zika virus pandemic during 2015–2016 was associated with public anxiety. Such threats represent opportunities to examine hypotheses about health anxiety. The present study investigated psychological predictors of Zika-related anxiety during the 2015–2016 outbreak. U.S. adults (N = 216) completed a battery of measures assessing Zika-related anxiety as well as psychological variables hypothesized to predict anxious responding to the threat of a domestic Zika outbreak. Contrary to hypotheses, regression analyses indicated that only contamination severity overestimates and greater Zika knowledge significantly predicted Zika-related anxiety. Study limitations and clinical implications are discussed.
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Metadata
Title
Psychological Predictors of Health Anxiety in Response to the Zika Virus
Authors
Shannon M. Blakey
Jonathan S. Abramowitz
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings / Issue 3-4/2017
Print ISSN: 1068-9583
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3572
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-017-9514-y

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