• A R Aro, S Pilvikki Absetz, T M van Elderen, E van der Ploeg, and L J van der Kamp.
• Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, FIN-00300, Helsinki, Finland. arja.aro@ktl.fi
• Eur. J. Cancer. 2000 Jun 1; 36 (9): 1089-97.

AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine psychological distress in a mammography screening process as a consequence of screening after adjusting for background, personality and prescreening distress. Subjects, aged 50 years, were invitees at their first screening. There were three groups; normal findings (n=1407), false-positive findings (n=492) and referents from outside the screening programme (n=1718, age 48-49 years). Distress was measured as illness worry, anxiety, depression, cancer beliefs and early detection behaviour. Measurements were one month before screening invitation with follow-ups at 2 and 12 months postscreening. At 2 months, there was a moderate multivariate effect of group on distress; and intrusive thinking and worry about breast cancer, in particular, were most frequent amongst the false positives. Intrusive thinking still prevailed at 12 months, in addition to a higher perceived breast cancer risk and susceptibility. Distress related to screening and false-positive findings seems to be moderate, but prevailing cancer-specific concerns call for improvements in screening programmes.

26 keywords...

hide…