Predictors of intrusive thoughts and avoidance in women with family histories of breast cancer

Abstract

Having a family history of cancer is an important predictor of lifetime cancer risk. Individuals with family histories of cancer have been reported to experience symptoms of general distress and to have frequent intrusive thoughts and avoidance regarding cancer. To date, little is known about predictors of such distress. A relation between perception of cancer risk and distress has been suggested, but the possibility that prior cancer-related events may contribute to distress in these women has received little attention. The major aim of the study was to examine the contribution of the past experience of the death of a parent from cancer to distress in women at familiar risk for breast cancer. Women with family histories of breast cancer (Risk Group, N = 46) were assessed on the day of their yearly mammography screening and four to eight weeks after normal result notification in order to confirm the generalizability of their distress. Their levels of intrusive thoughts, avoidance, and perceived lifetime risk for breast cancer were significantly higher than those of women with no family histories of cancer who were not undergoing mammography (Comparison Group, N = 43), and this was true on both assessment days. Among the women in the Risk Group, those whose parent(s) had died of cancer had the highest levels of intrusive thoughts, avoidance, and perceived risk. Results suggested that perceived risk mediated the effect of this event on intrusive thoughts and avoidance regarding breast cancer. The findings are discussed in terms of theories of cognitive responses to traumatic and stressful life events. Implications for future research and interventions are discussed.

Genetic counselling and the intention to undergo prophylactic mastectomy: effects of a breast cancer risk assessment

“…The results even suggest that the objective risk information provided in the counselling may be a relatively small event in this process of decision making. This fits recent acknowledgements that precounselling factors like past cancer stressors are important determinants for subsequent distress and behaviour (Zakowski et al, 1998;Baider et al, 1999;Erblich et al, 2000;Rees et al, 2001). The personal experience of the counsellee, including concomitant fears and emotional beliefs, is an essential element of the counselling interaction.…”

Impacto do câncer parental no desenvolvimento psicológico dos filhos: uma revisão da literatura

“…Neste estudo, os membros da família foram descritos como um único grupo, com idades compreendidas entre os 29 e os 86 anos, apesar de se saber que os filhos adultos e os cônjuges têm responsabilidades, obrigações e necessidades diferentes na prestação de cuidados (Bakas, Lewis, & Parsons, 2001 (2005), as investigações sugerem que as familiares em primeiro grau de doentes com câncer da mama têm níveis significativamente mais elevados de pensamentos intrusivos relacionados com o câncer, e de evitamento, quando comparadas com mulheres sem história familiar de doença oncológica (Zakowski et al, 1997). Por sua vez, o estudo desenvolvido por Lindberg e Wellisch (2004) encontrou que 4% dos familiares em primeiro grau de doentes com câncer da mama mostraram níveis de sintomas consistentes com um diagnóstico de PTSD, provavelmente relacionados com o câncer e, para além disso, 7% dos familiares em primeiro grau registou sintomatologia consistente com os níveis potencialmente subclínicos de PTSD relacionado com câncer.…”

Psychometric testing of the Impact of Event Scale-Chinese Version (IES-C) in oral cancer patients in Taiwan

“…Cronbach's alpha for the total IES ranged from 0.86 to 0.91 [12,42] and for the intrusion and avoidance subscales from 0.72 to 0.92 and from 0.65 to 0.90, respectively [35]. The 1-week test-retest reliabilities for the total IES, the intrusion, and the avoidance subscales were 0.87, 0.89, and 0.79.…”