THE CF CARRIER STATUS IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH A DIMINISHED SELF-CONCEPT OR INCREASED ANXIETY - RESULTS OF PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING AFTER AT LEAST 1 YEAR

To evaluate whether the CF carrier status has any lasting effect on an xiety and on self-concept at least 1 year after the disclosure of the test result, an in-depth interview and additional psychological tests were administered in a group of adults who participated in a previous study which suggested a slight stigmatizing effect of the CF carrier s tatus. Besides carrier status, the role of a second factor - degree of relationship - was investigated. Analysis of Variance (MANOVA or ANOV A) revealed no effect on state and trait anxiety (STAI) and almost no effect on the six subscales of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. The a bsence of a lasting negative effect of the CF carrier status on anxiet y and self-concept is a very important finding. Nevertheless, an intri guing significant interaction effect was found: the group of sibs carr ying the CF gene felt less integrated in the family than the group of non-carrier sibs. This effect of carrier status was not found in the m ore distant relatives. It is important to pay sufficient attention to this problem during genetic counseling when brothers or sisters of a C F patient receive a test result.