A longitudinal study of psychological adjustment to familial genetic risk assessment for ovarian cancer

`Objectives. To evaluate the psychological adjustment of women during initi al genetic ovarian cancer risk assessment and at clinic follow-up, 6-12 mon ths later. Methods. Sixty-five subjects were assessed with the Centre for Epidemiologi cal Studies Depression Scale (CESD), Spielberger's State Anxiety Inventory, and an 18-item, investigator-designed questionnaire yielding self-report o n screening responses, worry about increased risk, identification of cancer -related deaths in relatives, worry about future cancer risks of daughters, alteration of future plans as a result of ovarian cancer risk, etc. Results. Thirty-three percent of subjects had CESD scores above the establi shed cutoff for depression at baseline and 38% had scores above cutoff at f ollow-up. Sixteen percent of subjects had state scores on the State-Trait A nxiety Inventory higher than 1 standard deviation above average (norm) at b aseline, while only 6% had scores higher than 1 SD above average at follow- up. Conclusion. To identify factors associated with self-reported depression at follow-up, a series of demographic and self-reported variables (e.g., pres ence of identified problems in family, impact of genetic risk information, concern for daughter in the future) were entered in a multiple regression a nalysis with the CESD follow-up score as the dependent variable. Only one p redictor accounted for a significant amount of variance in depression score s. Concern for daughter's risk in the future was associated with higher dep ression scores at follow-up (R = 0.33, P < 0.02, R-2 = 11%). (C) 1999 Acade mic Press.