“Searching on the internet guarantees you a cancer diagnosis”: An analysis of Chinese anxiety forum discourse

Language and discourse are central to understanding anxiety disorders, yet research on Chinese-language anxiety discourse is scarce, where socio-cultural norms may shape communication. This study analyzes anxiety discourse on a Chinese online forum by employing topic modeling, topic's text contribution analysis, and corpus-assisted discourse analysis. Ten topics are identified, with “Psychotherapy,” “Health Anxieties and Medical Examinations,” and “Academic-Family Pressures” most prominent. Key findings show that users actively engage in peer support communication by normalizing anxiety and emphasizing psychotherapy. But their health anxieties are intensified by online searches and interactions with doctors. They also show distinct communication needs with family, friends, and teachers. The study highlights how discourse reflects and shapes anxiety experiences, offering insights for patients, healthcare professionals, and the public.