title: Familial adenomatous polyposis: mental health, psychosocial functioning and reactions to genetic risk in adolescents.
abstract: Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) in a parent requires diagnostic follow-up and treatment from adolescence in possible gene carriers in order to prevent cancer development. A nationwide sample (n = 22) of adolescent FAP offspring including 85% of eligible individuals aged 11-20 years and their parents were interviewed with regard to adolescent mental health, psychosocial functioning, knowledge about FAP and genetic risk, and experiences with testing and surgery. Thirty-six percent of the FAP offspring fulfilled criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis. For adolescents older than 15 years, this was increased relative to a comparison group with Hirschprung's disease and a general population sample. Neither genetic testing nor FAP diagnosis in adolescent FAP-offspring differentiated significantly between those who fulfilled the criteria and those who did not for psychiatric diagnosis, while a global score of chronic family difficulties did. This may imply that experiencing parental illness more than inheriting FAP is a perceived stressor for adolescent FAP offspring.
authors.affiliation: Section for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Women and Children's Division, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway. helene.gjone@oslouniversitetssykehus.no
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gjone
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Diseth
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fausa
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Nøvik
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heiberg
mesh_terms: D011125:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017491:Genes, APC; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D012098:Reproduction; D012307:Risk Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D055815:Young Adult