Is genetic counseling for cancer predisposition always associated with distress? A pre-post intervention study to assess probands’ pre-and post-counseling level of anxiety and satisfaction

Simona Di Lascio*, Elena Scaffi di, Vincenzo Bagnardi, Monica Taborelli, Gabriella Bianchi Micheli, Piercarlo Saletti, Cinzia Cafaro-Greco, Davide Disalvatore and Olivia Pagani

Genetic  counseling  for  cancer  predisposition  is  associated  with  a  potentially  underestimated emotional impact. The Genetic Counseling Service of the Institute of Oncology of Southern Switzerland evaluated the degree of anxiety before and after counseling and its correlation with the level of satisfaction of counselees.

The STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) questionnaire was submitted to 80 counselees to measure trait  (constitutive)  and  state  (contingent)  anxiety.  It  was  submitted  before  and  at  the  end  of  the first interview.  A  specific  questionnaire  named  genetic  counseling  satisfaction  (GCS),  was  developed  to evaluate  the  quality  of  information,  submitted  to  counselees  at  the  end  of  the first  meeting.  The  mean state and trait anxiety levels before the interview were respectively 41.4 and 40.7. The mean decrease after the interview was 4.3 for state anxiety (p<0.0001) and 1.2 (p=0.0054) for trait anxiety. The GCS showed that  most  counselees  appreciated  the  clarity  of  information  (85%)  and  the  simple  and  understandable terminology used during counseling (88%). Higher levels of satisfaction were associated with higher level of state anxiety reduction (ρ=-0.23, p=0.03).

Genetic  counseling  slightly  impacts  trait  anxiety  but  results  in  an  important  reduction  in  state anxiety.  The  satisfaction  from  the  interview  influences  the  reduction  of  state  anxiety  associated  with genetic counseling for cancer predisposition

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Published on: Aug 28, 2017 Pages: 30-37

Full Text PDF Full Text HTML DOI: 10.17352/2455-5460.000020
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