The impact of genetic counseling on knowledge and emotional responses in Spanish population with family history of breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To assess a genetic counseling intervention measuring the distress, cancer risk perception, anxiety, worry and level of knowledge in people with familial history of breast cancer.


METHODS
One group pre- and post-test design. A total of 212 individuals completed a baseline questionnaire, 88.6% completed a second questionnaire one month later and 75.4% six months later.


RESULTS
Counseling intervention significantly increased the knowledge level of the individuals who received genetic education and significantly decreased the cancer worry levels. Persons with low perception of their cancer risk also had low worry levels. There were no significant changes over time in cancer risk perception or in quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
Counseling in a high risk population seems to decrease cancer worry and to increase cancer knowledge thus enabling a counselee to take well-informed decisions. Furthermore, according to our results, such interventions do not increase anxiety and do not modify the quality of life, but do not adjust their cancer risk perception.


CONCLUSIONS
Providing individuals at increased risk of breast cancer genetic services seem to enhance their understanding of breast cancer without causing adverse psychological effects or changes in their quality of life, and it could improve their preventive behaviours.
Cabrera
Esther
E
International University of Catalonia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, 08195 Barcelona, Spain. ecabrera@csc.uic.es
Blanco
Ignacio
I
Yagüe
Carmen
C
Zabalegui
Adelaida
A
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires