Rates and correlates of illness anxiety disorder among health college students: A cross-sectional study

doi:10.5498/wjp.124345

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World Journal of Psychiatry

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2220-3206

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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA

Observational Study

Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

World J Psychiatry. Nov 19, 2026; 16(11): 124345
Published online Nov 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.124345

Rates and correlates of illness anxiety disorder among health college students: A cross-sectional study

Ahmad Nayef Alhadi, Raghad Bander Almashan, Reema Mohammed Alshehri, Reem Ali Alhazmi, Nourah Abdulkarim Alfawaz, Mashael Mohammad Alsuliman, Alanoud Abdulsalam Almarzuqi

Ahmad Nayef Alhadi, Raghad Bander Almashan, Reema Mohammed Alshehri, Reem Ali Alhazmi, Nourah Abdulkarim Alfawaz, Mashael Mohammad Alsuliman, Alanoud Abdulsalam Almarzuqi, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, Riyadh 11472, Saudi Arabia

Ahmad Nayef Alhadi, Raghad Bander Almashan, Reema Mohammed Alshehri, Reem Ali Alhazmi, Nourah Abdulkarim Alfawaz, Mashael Mohammad Alsuliman, Alanoud Abdulsalam Almarzuqi, SABIC Psychological Health Research & Applications Chair, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11472, Saudi Arabia

Author contributions: Alhadi AN provided supervision and critical feedback; and Alhadi AN, Almashan RB, Alshehri RM, Alhazmi RA, Alfawaz NA, Alsuliman MM, and Almarzuqi AA conducted the literature review and contributed to the study design, methodology development, and data collection, management, and analysis.

AI contribution statement: During the preparation of this manuscript, ChatGPT (version 5) was used to assist with spelling and grammar checks. The authors reviewed and edited the manuscript as needed and take full responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and final content of the manuscript.

Supported by the Ongoing Research Funding Program of King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, No. ORF-RC-2026-48-01.

Institutional review board statement: ‏The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of King Saud University (Approval No. E-24-8502).

Informed consent statement: Electronic informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their inclusion in the study.

Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement—checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement—checklist of items.

Data sharing statement: The dataset generated and analyzed during the current study is available from the corresponding author (alhadi@ksu.edu.sa) upon reasonable request. The presented data are anonymized and the risk of participant identification is low. No additional data are available

Corresponding author: Ahmad Nayef Alhadi, MD, Consultant, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, PO Box 7805(55), Riyadh 11472, Saudi Arabia. alhadi@ksu.edu.sa

Received: June 12, 2026
Revised: July 13, 2026
Accepted: August 10, 2026
Published online: November 19, 2026
Processing time: 139 Days and 18.1 Hours

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Illness anxiety disorder (IAD) is characterized by persistent fear of developing a serious illness. Despite the absence of significant medical findings, individuals with this condition often misinterpret normal bodily sensations or minor symptoms as indications of severe disease.

AIM

To estimate and compare the prevalence of IAD among health college students at King Saud University.

METHODS

This observational cross-sectional study utilized data collected through an online, self-administered questionnaire; an Arabic version of the short health anxiety inventory (SHAI) was employed. A total of 325 students from health colleges at King Saud University in Riyadh were included in the study.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of IAD (defined as a SHAI score of ≥ 17) was 28.9%, with the highest prevalence observed among students from the College of Nursing. IAD was significantly associated with sex, college affiliation, a history of psychiatric disorders, and exposure to abuse or neglect.

CONCLUSION

A notable prevalence of IAD was noted among health college students, highlighting the need for increased awareness and targeted interventions. The implementation of comprehensive counseling and support services is recommended to effectively address this issue.

Keywords: Illness anxiety disorder; Health anxiety; Hypochondriasis; Health colleges; Saudi Arabia

Core Tip: Illness anxiety disorder was identified in 28.9% of health college students at King Saud University, indicating a notable psychological concern within this group. Higher levels were found among female students, those enrolled in nursing programs, and individuals with prior psychiatric conditions or experiences of abuse or neglect. No meaningful associations were observed with age, academic level, or personal and family medical history. These results highlight the importance of focused mental health screening and support strategies for vulnerable student populations in healthcare education settings.