Health Anxiety, Health Perception, and Healthy Lifestyle Behavior Among Psychiatric Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To compare the health anxiety and healthy lifestyle behavior experienced by psychiatric patients due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with that of a control group. The study included 120 outpatients (aged 18-65 years) diagnosed with a psychiatric illness ( criteria) who presented to a psychiatry outpatient clinic between June and August 2020. The control group included 120 healthy individuals with a similar age and sex distribution as the patient group. Data were collected with a questionnaire developed by the authors to determine the participants' adherence to COVID-19 hygiene rules and associated behavioral norms. The Health Anxiety Scale-Short Form, Health Perception Scale, and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile were completed by all participants. The mean Health Anxiety Scale score was significantly lower in the patient group compared to the control group ( < .01). Health anxiety was high in 8% of the patients and 32% of the controls. Also, the mean Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile score was statistically significantly lower in the patient group compared to the control group ( < .01). There was no significant difference between the groups based on health perception scores and adherence to hygiene rules. As expected, the healthy lifestyle behavior of individuals without psychiatric illness was higher compared to those with mental disorders. However, health anxiety about COVID-19 was higher among healthy individuals compared to those with a psychiatric disorder. Thus, it could be suggested that individuals without a psychiatric illness prior to the pandemic could need psychiatric assistance after the pandemic.