*2.1. Participants and Procedures*

Data for the current study were collected in Italy during the period of maximal national restrictions in response to COVID-19 (i.e., from 10 March 2020 to 2 June 2020). An online battery of questionnaires was advertised through social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). There were no exclusionary criteria, and the online battery took about one hour to complete. Of note, the sample consisted of community members and was not selected for elevated health anxiety. We believe this to be a strength, as health anxiety represents a continuum ranging from the absence of health concerns to pathological health anxiety [32,33]. When examining the psychological processes surrounding health anxiety, it is beneficial to use large, unselected samples that include a full range of symptoms, rather than focusing exclusively on samples of individuals with severe levels of health anxiety [10,33].

Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Board of the University of Firenze, in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants were informed about the study's aims and provided informed consent before completing the survey.
