The Psychosocial Research of the Members in a Large Von Hippel-Lindau Family in China

Abstract

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a rare, autosomal inherited tumor disorder caused by mutations or deletions of the VHL gene. Most of the previous research focused on the clinical features and molecular mechanisms of the disease, few concerned about the psychosocial impact on the patients and their family. We encountered a VHL family in the clinical work and attempted to assess the possible psychological effects of the disease on the members of the family. Three questionnaires including Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Revised Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R) were used in the research.