Clinicians need to recognize and respond to stress response syndromes that
may occur after patients have received genetic testing for inherited suscep
tibility to serious diseases. For patients whose test results convey high r
isk, increased attention to prevention, surveillance, and early medical tre
atment may be possible, but the grim new's may also lead to a formation of
symptoms ranging from extreme denial to unwelcomed intrusive ideas and feel
ings. Genetic counseling alone may be insufficient for some people, and eva
luation and psychotherapy for stress response syndromes may be indicated fo
r them.