title: The effects of prenatal group genetic counselling on knowledge, anxiety and decisional conflict: issues for nuchal translucency screening.
abstract: This study evaluates the effects of prenatal genetic group counselling on women's anxiety, decisional conflict and levels of knowledge. Participants (N=271) were aged 35 years and older. ANOVA results indicated that pre/postcounselling scores for anxiety did not change significantly, while decisional conflict decreased significantly (P<0.001). Pre/postcounselling scores on two different knowledge measures were analysed using 2x3 mixed ANOVAs for time by highest level of education and by having discussed prenatal diagnosis with one's health care provider. No potential interactions were statistically significant; time alone had a strong significant effect for both knowledge measures (P<0.01); P<0.01, respectively), suggesting that the effects of the counselling intervention were robust. Group genetic counselling is an effective method for education and decision support in the prenatal context, and may serve as a model for other clinical populations facing genetic screening decisions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. amy.kaiser@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Amy S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: Lorraine E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Ferris
authors.forename: Anne L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Pastuszak
authors.forename: Hilary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Llewellyn-Thomas
authors.forename: Jo-Ann
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Conacher
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D003657:Decision Making; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D008423:Maternal Age; D009333:Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal