Abstract
A cognitive-behavioral model of health anxiety was used to investigate reactions to genetic counseling for cancer. Participants (N = 218) were asked to complete a questionnaire beforehand and 6 months later. There was an overall decrease in levels of cancer-related anxiety, although 24% of participants showed increased cancer-related anxiety at follow-up. People who had a general tendency to worry about their health reported more cancer-related anxiety than those who did not at both time points. This health-anxious group also showed a postcounseling anxiety reduction, whereas the others showed no significant change. Participants with breast or ovarian cancer in their family were more anxious than participants with colon cancer in their family. Preexisting beliefs were significant predictors of anxiety, consistent with a cognitive-behavioral approach.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 171-180 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Health Psychology |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2006 |
| Externally published | Yes |
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Applied Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental Health
Keywords
- Anxiety
- Cancer
- Cognitive-behavioral
- Genetic counseling
- Risk perceptions
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