title: Psychological responses to BRCA1 mutation testing: preliminary findings.
abstract: The short-term psychological responses of 60 adult women tested for a BRCA1 gene mutation associated with a high risk of breast and ovarian cancer were investigated. Participants were members of a large kindred enrolled in an ongoing prospective study of the psychosocial impact of genetic testing. Initial results from participants who completed both the pretest baseline and the 1-2 week posttest follow-up interviews are reported. Gene mutation carriers manifested significantly higher levels of test-related psychological distress, as measured by the Impact of Event Scale, when compared with noncarriers. The highest levels of test-related distress were observed among mutation carriers with no history of cancer or cancer-related surgery. Although general distress (state anxiety) declined after testing, carriers were more distressed than noncarriers at follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112, USA. robert.croyle@behsci.utah.edu
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Croyle
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Botkin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baty
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nash
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003241:Consanguinity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019398:Genes, BRCA1 / Q000235:genetics*; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000523:psychology*; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D013997:Time Factors