Psychological distress in U.S. women who have experienced false-positive mammograms.
BACKGROUND
In the United States, approximately 10.7% of all screening mammograms lead to a false-positive result, but the overall impact of false-positives on psychological well-being is poorly understood.


METHODS
Data were analyzed from the 2000 U.S. National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the most recent national survey that included a cancer control module. Study subjects were 9,755 women who ever had a mammogram, of which 1,450 had experienced a false-positive result. Psychological distress was assessed using the validated K6 questionnaire and logistic regression was used to discern any association with previous false-positive mammograms.


RESULTS
In a multivariate analysis, women who had indicated a previous false-positive mammogram were more likely to report feeling sad (OR = 1.18, 95% CI, 1.03-1.35), restless (OR = 1.23, 95% CI, 1.08-1.40), worthless (OR = 1.27, 95% CI, 1.04-1.54), and finding that everything was an effort (OR = 1.27, 95% CI, 1.10-1.47). These women were also more likely to have seen a mental health professional in the 12 months preceding the survey (OR = 1.28, 95% CI, 1.03-1.58) and had a higher composite score on all items of the K6 scale (P < 0.0001), a reflection of increased psychological distress. Analyses by age and race revealed that, among women who had experienced false-positives, younger women were more likely to feel that everything was an effort, and blacks were more likely to feel restless.


CONCLUSIONS
In a random sampling of the U.S. population, women who had previously experienced false-positive mammograms were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Jatoi
Ismail
I
Department of Surgery, National Naval Medical Center and Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. ismail.jatoi@us.army.mil
Zhu
Kangmin
K
Shah
Mona
M
Lawrence
William
W
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D044383:Black People; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008327:Mammography / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D044465:White People