The Psychological Impact of Referral for Mammography Screening for Breast Cancer Among Women in Muscat Governorate: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives: Breast cancer constitutes the majority of diagnosed cancers in Oman’s females, accounting for 19.2%, which prompted the introduction of a breast cancer screening programme into the Omani healthcare system. There are rising international concerns about the effectiveness of mammography as a screening tool and its psychological impact. The current study aimed to determine the social, emotional and physical dysfunction caused by the waiting time from the day of scheduling the appointment until the day of screening and explore associated risk factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between March and December 2017 at Khoula Hospital, Muscat, Oman, using a two-part self-administered questionnaire. Part one of the questionnaire collected clinical and demographic data. Part two consisted of the Psychological Consequences Questionnaire (PCQ) and focused on psychological consequences, measuring the effect of mammographic screening on emotional, physical and social functions. Results: A total of 300 women aged ≥40 years old participated in this study (response rate: 100%). Results revealed that there was a minimal negative psychological impact from screening using mammograms. All PCQ domains were significantly impacted for participants who reported a family history of cancer (P = 0.007). The social score was significantly higher among women between 40–50 years old (P = 0.008). Scores of emotional and social functions were significantly affected by participants’ employment status; employed women were more affected than those who were not (P = 0.043 and 0.012, respectively). However, women’s levels of literacy did not affect any of the domains. Conclusion: The psychosocial impact of the waiting period between scheduling and undergoing mammography screening was minimal in the current sample. Future research should evaluate the psychosocial impact on patients at different recall times.Keywords: Breast Cancer; Mammography; Psychological Factors; Depression; Anxiety; Oman.

Evaluating the Harms of Cancer Testing—A Systematic Review of the Adverse Psychological Correlates of Testing for Cancer and the Effectiveness of Interventions to Mitigate These

“…Two SRs (including seven studies [ 16 ] and seven studies [ 19 ] each) and three cross-sectional studies found a negative association between age and psychosocial morbidity in screening for breast [ 22 , 23 ], pancreatic [ 16 ], cervical [ 29 ], and colorectal [ 19 ] cancers.…”

“…Three SRs (including 15 studies [ 13 ], 13 studies [ 20 ], and 58 studies [ 21 ] each) and three cross-sectional studies showed a negative association between educational status and anxiety levels in breast [ 13 , 25 ], lung [ 20 ], cervical [ 26 ], colorectal [ 21 ], and ovarian [ 35 ] cancer testing. One cross-sectional study [ 22 ] found no association between literacy levels and the magnitude of anxiety in women who underwent mammograms for breast cancer screening.…”

“…One SR [ 20 ] and two cross-sectional studies described a positive association between a family history of cancer and anxiety associated with testing across lung [ 20 ], breast [ 22 ], and ovarian [ 35 ] cancers.…”

“…Two cross-sectional studies demonstrated a negative association between employment status and anxiety levels during breast [ 22 ] and cervical [ 29 ] cancer screening.…”

Exploring Emotional and Psychological Impacts of Mammography in Women

“…[7,8] Mammography screening for breast cancer has recently become a source of debate and international concern as a result of negative pre-and post-screening effects observed in several trials [9]. However, the level of anxiety felt by women waiting for breast cancer screening visits has been shown to fluctuate, reflecting patients' different levels of concern about breast cancer screening [10]. The purpose of this study was to explore women's emotional and psychological experiences during the process of undergoing mammography.…”