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This study assessed the impact of the results of genetic testing for hereditary cancer from a multifactorial health psychology perspective, considering that emotional expression plays a key role in psychological adjustment. Measures of dispositional and transactional coping strategies, anxiety and alexithymia were filled out by 77 participants in a longitudinal study design. Statistical analyses were performed using general linear models and partial least squares path modelling, low-constraint methods that are particularly useful in the behavioural sciences. While anxiety levels prior to the result announcement were predictive of the distress experienced by noncarriers, considerable variability was observed for mutation carriers. Some subjects who had lower anxiety levels before the test displayed greater anxiety afterwards, but others seemed to anticipate the distress they would experience with the result that they showed a decrease in anxiety. The mutation carriers behaved as though their adaptive functioning were reshaped by the test result, independent of their disposition and previous emotional state, except in the case of alexithymia. Difficulty expressing emotions prior to genetic testing contributed to a similar difficulty after receiving the result, adding to the latter's emotional impact by promoting emotion-focused coping strategies and increasing distress., (© 2011 Taylor & Francis)

This article focuses on six questions raised by genetic testing in human: (1) the use of genetic tests, (2) information given to relatives of patients affected with genetic disorders, (3) prenatal and preimplantatory diagnosis for late onset genetic diseases and the use of pangenomic tests in prenatal diagnosis, (4) direct-to-consumer genetic testing, (5) population screening in the age of genomic medicine and (6) incidental findings when genetic testing are used., (Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Unlabelled: Introduction. The development of a DNA based diagnostic test has allowed for the genetic screening of many hereditary diseases. In addition to the identification of the deleterious gene, this screening process has led to the recognition of developing illnesses at high risk. In recent years, a number of genes predisposing to an inherited cancer syndrome have been identified., Aim of the Study: Our purpose in this study was to determine whether subjects at risk who test for inherited colorectal cancer, are likely to develop a higher level of psychological distress than the norm, taking into consideration the particular history of this familial disease., Methods: The demographic and psychosocial aspects of our population was described using: 1) the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), 2) the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D), 3) a perceived risk for the gene carrier, 4) subjective perception of personal vulnerability and 5) the role of the medical status (affected or not), which places the subject in either predisposition or predictive testing., Results: Results show that our population had a higher predisposition for depressive disorders (chi2=9,3. p=0.002) and a significantly higher state of anxiety (chi2=9,3. p=0.002), prior to genetic counselling, compared with other populations. We found no evidence in the medical status, nor the perceived risk. However, the assessment of one's own personal vulnerability is related to psychological distress., Discussion: These results highlight the particular vulnerability of subjects undergoing genetic testing as well as showing the pertinence of proposing psychological help throughout the process of these new specific diagnoses.

Abstract: This article focuses on six questions raised by genetic testing in human: (1) the use of genetic tests, (2) information given to relatives of patients affected with genetic disorders, (3) prenatal and preimplantatory diagnosis for late onset genetic diseases and the use of pangenomic tests in prenatal diagnosis, (4) direct-to-consumer genetic testing, (5) population screening in the age of genomic medicine and (6) incidental findings when genetic testing are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]