title: Psychological impact of positive cervical cancer screening results among Japanese women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While cervical cancer screening is useful for detecting and then treating the disease at an early stage, most women with screen-positive results are free from cervical cancer but nevertheless subject to the unnecessary worry entailed in receiving such results. The purpose of this study was to examine whether receiving a screen-positive result was actually related to psychological distress among Japanese women who underwent cervical cancer screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a questionnaire survey at health facilities in a semiurban city of Ibaraki prefecture, involving 1744 women who underwent cervical cancer screening and 72 who received screen-positive results and then underwent further testing. We used the K6 scale to assess their psychological distress (K6 score ≥5) and performed multiple logistic regression analyses to estimate the relative effect of receiving screen-positive results on psychological distress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Psychological distress was more prevalent among women with screen-positive results (OR 2.22; 95 % CI 1.32-3.74), while it was also related to history of mental health consultation (OR 2.26; 95 % CI 1.69-3.01) and marital status (OR 1.32; 95 % CI 1.02-1.70).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Receiving a positive cervical cancer screening result was associated with psychological distress. To alleviate this psychological impact, the current form of communicating the screening results should be reconsidered.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan. s1530359@u.tsukuba.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yukari
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1955-7525
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Isaka
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan.|International Affairs Division, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 1-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8916, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruhiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inada
authors.affiliation: Total Health Evaluation Center Tsukuba, 1-2 Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0005, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hiranuma
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Cervical cancer; Cervical cancer screening; Mental health; Pap smear; Positive screening result; Psychological distress