Psychological Factors Associated with Emotional Responses to Receiving Genetic Risk Information

Abstract

This study identified levels of distress, and predictors of levels of distress, in women undergoing assessment for genetic risk of breast/ovarian cancer based on their family history. It comprised a cohort study following 154 women who completed questionnaires at entry into a cancer genetic assessment programme and following risk provision. Independent significant associates of anxiety following risk provision were age, neuroticism, feeling hopeless about developing cancer, a perceived lack of control over developing cancer, lack of a social confidant, and a coping response involving acceptance/resignation. Depression was associated with age, neuroticism, feeling hopeless about developing cancer, lack of social confidant, and a coping response involving acceptance/resignation. To avoid high levels of psychological morbidity in future cohorts undergoing cancer genetic risk assessment, information should be given that emphasises that some degree of control over health outcomes through behaviour change or increased surveillance is possible.

Hopes and Expectations Regarding Genetic Testing for Schizophrenia Among Young Adults at Clinical High-Risk for Psychosis

“…With regard to other predictive tests, factors that have been associated with maladaptive psychological reactions to negative test results are high levels of depression, anxiety, catastrophizing, neuroticism, or hopelessness about one’s health. 26–28 Because individuals at risk for schizophrenia are more likely than the general population to experience depression, anxiety, and high rates of neuroticism, it could be that negative psychological reactions to receiving information involving a high risk would be more common in this population. 29,30 In contrast, high levels of ego-strength are associated with psychological well-being 1 year after testing positive for Huntington’s disease, and thus they may act as a protective factor.…”

microRNA and mRNA profiles in nucleus accumbens underlying depression versus resilience in response to chronic stress

“…Pathological changes in monoamine synapses, hypothalamus‐pituitary‐adrenal axis, and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor are believed to cause neuronal atrophy in the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex from depressive patients and depression‐like animals (Banasr, Dwyer, & Duman, 2011; Bennett et al, 2008; Duman, 2010; Elizalde et al, 2008; Ma, Xu, et al, 2016; Pittenger & Duman, 2008; Sandi & Haller, 2015; Xu, Cui, & Wang, 2016). In addition, major depression may be caused by a lack of reward in life to lower the use in the function of brain reward circuits including the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex (Wang & Cui, 2015; Zhu, Wang, Ma, Cui, & Wang, 2017).…”

Do Attachment Style and Emotion Regulation Strategies Indicate Distress in Predictive Testing?

“…Since the introduction of predictive testing programs, clinicians and researchers have been interested in recognizing persons who may be vulnerable for distress during and after predictive testing. The risk of maladaptive psychological reactions to test results, in identified gene mutation carriers as well as in non-carriers, was found to be elevated in persons who have symptoms of depression or anxiety when entering the predictive testing program (Dufrasne et al 2011; Pasacreta 2003; Tibben 2007), relatively high levels of neuroticism (Bennett et al 2008; Reichelt et al 2008), feelings of hopelessness about health (Bennett et al 2008), limited ego strength (Tibben 2007; van Oostrom et al 2007), or a passive, avoidant, or information-seeking coping style (Grosfeld et al 2000; Tibben 2007; van Oostrom et al 2007; Williams et al 2010). …”