Psychological morbidity in women at increased risk of developing breast cancer: A controlled study
Open accessAbstract
There has been an ongoing debate in the literature on the extent to which women with a family history of breast cancer are at risk of psychological morbidity. This study compares psychological morbidity in 557 women participating in a large Australian registry of high-risk breast cancer families (kConFab) with 2 age and education matched samples, 1494 general practitioner attendees and 158 members of a twin registry. Participants completed the Somatic and Psychological Health Report (SPHERE). There were no significant differences between the three groups on psychological distress (F(2, 670) = 1.77, p = 0.17). Unsurprisingly, GP attendees reported more symptoms of somatic distress than the kConFab group (t411 = 2.89, p = 0.004); there were no differences between the twins and the kConFab group on somatic distress (t174 = 0.40, p = 0.687). Clinically significant anxiety/depression, a combination of psychological and somatic distress, therefore was significantly higher in GP attendees (28%) than the kConFab and twin samples (both 20%). These results refute the hypothesis that women with a family history of breast cancer are at greater psychological risk.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Post-surgical distress is related to surgical complications, perceived risk of breast cancer, having young children, and psychiatric history.
“Post-surgical distress appeared to be related to surgical complications, perceived risk of breast cancer, having young children, and psychiatric history [11-14].”
From Standard psychological consultations and follow up for women at increased risk of hereditary breast cancer considering prophylactic mastectomy (2009) · cites this paper as [14]
Cites
(1988) · NFER-Nelson eBooks · Cited by 5,560 · see citing works
Andrews, G., Henderson, S., & Hall, W. (2001) · British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.178.2.145 · Cited by 933 · see citing works
Heath, A. C., Bucholz, K. K., Madden, P. A. F., Dinwiddie, S. H., Slutske, W. S., Bierut, L. J., Statham, D. J., Dunne, M. P., Whitfield, J. B., & Martin, N. G. (1997) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291797005643 · Cited by 846 · see citing works
Psychological Distress and Surveillance Behaviors of Women With a Family History of Breast Cancer
Kash, K. M., Holland, J. C., Halper, M., & Miller, D. G. (1992) · JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute · doi:10.1093/jnci/84.1.24 · Cited by 556 · see citing works
Eath, A. C. H., Ucholz, K. K. B., Adden, P. A. F. M., Inwiddie, S. H. D., Lutske, W. S. S., Ierut, L. J. B., Tatham, D. J. S., Hitfield, J. B. W., & Artin, N. G. M. (1997) · Cited by 423 · see citing works
Composite International Diagnostic Interview, Version 1.1 1989
Robins, L. N., Wing, J. B., Wïttchen, H., Helzer, J. E., Babor, T. F., Burke, J., Farmer, A., Jablensky, A. V., & Pickens, R. W. (1995) · Open Scholarship Institutional Repository (Washington University in St. Louis) · Cited by 344 · see citing works
Adherence and psychological adjustment among women at high risk for breast cancer
Lerman, C. E., & Schwartz, M. D. (1993) · Breast Cancer Research and Treatment · doi:10.1007/bf00666427 · Cited by 243 · see citing works
Lloyd, S., Watson, M., Waites, B., Meyer, L., Eeles, R. A., Ebbs, S. R., & Tylee, A. T. (1996) · British Journal of Cancer · doi:10.1038/bjc.1996.387 · Cited by 211 · see citing works
Predictors of and Satisfaction with Bilateral Prophylactic Mastectomy
Stefanek, M. E., Helzlsouer, K. J., Wilcox, P. M., & Houn, F. (1995) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1006/pmed.1995.1066 · Cited by 177 · cited 1× · see citing works
“For example, intention to undergo preventative mastectomy Copyright # 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Psycho-Oncology 14: 196–203 (2005) and actual uptake of the procedure have been found to be associated with breast cancer anxiety (Meiser et al., 2000; Stefanek et al., 1995).”
BackgroundPredictors of intrusive thoughts and avoidance in women with family histories of breast cancer
Zakowski, S. G., Valdimarsdottir, H. B., Bovbjerg, D. H., Borgen, P. I., Holland, J. C., Kash, K. M., Miller, D. G., Mitnick, J. S., Osborne, M. P., & Zee, K. J. V. (1997) · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/bf02895155 · Cited by 150 · see citing works
Fatigue in selected primary care settings: sociodemographic and psychiatric correlates
Hickie, I. B., Hooker, A. W., Bennett, B. K., Hadži-Pavlović, D., Wilson, A. J., & Lloyd, A. R. (1996) · The Medical Journal of Australia · doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.1996.tb122199.x · Cited by 147 · see citing works
Self-citationPsychological Functioning of Daughters of Breast Cancer Patients
Wellisch, D. K., Gritz, E. R., Schain, W. S., Wang, H., & Siau, J. (1991) · Psychosomatics · doi:10.1016/s0033-3182(91)72072-0 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
Distress and psychiatric morbidity among women from high-risk breast and ovarian cancer families.
Coyne, J. C., Benazon, N. R., Gaba, C. G., Calzone, K., & Weber, B. L. (2000) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-006x.68.5.864 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
Meiser, B., Butow, P., Friedlander, M., Schnieden, V., Gattas, M., Kirk, J., Suthers, G., Haan, E., & Tucker, K. (2000) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2000.18.11.2250 · Cited by 132 · see citing works
Self-citationLooking forward and back: Distress among women at familial risk for breast cancer
Erblich, J., Bovbjerg, D. H., & Valdimarsdottir, H. B. (2000) · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/bf02895167 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
The use of videotaped information in cancer genetic counselling: a randomized evaluation study
Cull, A., Miller, H., Porterfield, T., Mackay, J., Anderson, E., Steel, C., & Elton, R. (1998) · British Journal of Cancer · doi:10.1038/bjc.1998.135 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
Psychological distress in women with a familial risk of breast cancer
Valdimarsdottir, H. B., Bovbjerg, D. H., Kash, K. M., Holland, J. C., Osborne, M. P., & Miller, D. G. (1995) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.2960040207 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
A Descriptive Study of Breast Cancer Worry
McCaul, K. D., Branstetter, A. D., O'Donnell, S. M., Jacobson, K., & Quinlan, K. B. (1998) · Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1023/a:1018748712987 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Sphere: A National Depression Project
Hickie, I. B., Hadži-Pavlović, D., Scott, E. M., Davenport, T. A., Koschera, A., & Naismith, S. L. (1998) · Australasian Psychiatry · doi:10.3109/10398569809084854 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Self-citationCoyne, J. C., & Anderson, K. K. (1999) · Journal of Family Psychology · doi:10.1037/0893-3200.13.4.629 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Screening for prolonged fatigue syndromes: validation of the SOFA scale
Hadži-Pavlović, D., Hickie, I. B., Wilson, A. J., Davenport, T. A., Lloyd, A. R., & Wakefield, D. (2000) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s001270050266 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Self-citationAsthma and hayfever in Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal children living in non‐remote rural towns
Downs, S. H., Marks, G. B., Belosouva, E. G., & Peat, J. K. (2001) · The Medical Journal of Australia · doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2001.tb143503.x · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Hickie, I. B., Bennett, B. K., Lloyd, A. R., Heath, A. C., & Martin, N. G. (1999) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291798007922 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Self-citationkConFab: a research resource of Australasian breast cancer families
Osborne, R. H., Hopper, J. L., Kirk, J. A., Chenevix‐Trench, G., Thorne, H. J., & Sambrook, J. (2000) · The Medical Journal of Australia · doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2000.tb124064.x · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Meiser, B., Butow, P. N., Price, M., Bennett, B. K., Berry, G., & Tucker, K. (2003) · Journal of Women s Health · doi:10.1089/154099903322447738 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Self-citationAnxiety in women "at risk' of developing breast cancer
Thirlaway, K., Fallowfield, L. J., NUNNERLEY, H. B., & Powles, T. J. (1996) · British Journal of Cancer · doi:10.1038/bjc.1996.269 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Australia Takes Two-Step Approach on Genetic Studies
Finkel, E. A. (1998) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.280.5371.1831 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Psychological impact of genetic testing for cancer susceptibility: an update of the literature
Meiser, B. (2005) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.933 · Cited by 293 · see citing works
Self-citationMann, G. J., Thorne, H., Balleine, R. L., Butow, P. N., Clarke, C. L., Edkins, E., Evans, G. M., Fereday, S., Haan, E., Gattas, M. R., et al. (2006) · Breast Cancer Research · doi:10.1186/bcr1377 · Cited by 154 · see citing works
Self-citationTyndel, S., Austoker, J., Henderson, B. J., Brain, K. E., Bankhead, C. R., Clements, A., & Watson, E. K. (2007) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2007.11.0437 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
Psychological distress and quality of life associated with genetic testing for breast cancer risk
Smith, A., Dougall, A., Posluszny, D., Somers, T. J., Rubinstein, W., & Baum, A. (2008) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.1291 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Dorval, M., Bouchard, K., Maunsell, E., Plante, M., Chiquette, J., Camden, S., Dugas, M. J., Simard, J., & BRCAs, I. (2008) · Journal of Genetic Counseling · doi:10.1007/s10897-008-9150-7 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Meiser, B., Butow, P. N., Price, M., Bennett, B. K., Berry, G., & Tucker, K. (2003) · Journal of Women s Health · doi:10.1089/154099903322447738 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Self-citationGillespie, N. A., Henders, A. K., Davenport, T., Hermens, D. F., Wright, M. J., Martin, N. G., & Hickie, I. B. (2012) · Twin Research and Human Genetics · doi:10.1017/thg.2012.111 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Self-citationTan, M. B., Bleiker, E. M., Menke-Pluymers, M. B., Van Gool, A. R., van Dooren, S., Van Geel, B. N., Tilanus-Linthorst, M. M., Bartels, K. C., Klijn, J. G., Brekelmans, C. T., et al. (2009) · Hereditary Cancer in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1186/1897-4287-7-6 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“Such factors as they relate to distress in women warrant additional attention, and several authors have recommended to (further) identify women at psychological risk in order to provide the appropriate psychological or psychiatric care [14,15].”
BackgroundMella, S., Muzzatti, B., Dolcetti, R., & Annunziata, M. A. (2017) · Hereditary Cancer in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1186/s13053-017-0077-6 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Kasparian, N. A., Meiser, B., Butow, P. N., Simpson, J., & Mann, G. J. (2007) · Clinical Genetics · doi:10.1111/j.1399-0004.2007.00949.x · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Self-citationEffect of personal cancer history and family cancer history on levels of psychological distress
Rabin, C., Rogers, M. L., Pinto, B. M., Nash, J. M., Frierson, G. M., & Trask, P. C. (2006) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.09.004 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Price, M. A., Butow, P. N., Lo, S. K., & Wilson, J. (2007) · Journal of Genetic Counseling · doi:10.1007/s10897-007-9105-4 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Self-citationDistress and Psychosocial Needs of a Heterogeneous High Risk Familial Cancer Population
Power, T. E., Robinson, J. W., Bridge, P. J., Bernier, F. P., & Gilchrist, D. M. (2011) · Journal of Genetic Counseling · doi:10.1007/s10897-010-9344-7 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Cukier, Y., Thompson, H. S., Sussner, K. M., Forman, A. D., Jandorf, L. H., Edwards, T. A., Bovbjerg, D. H., Schwartz, M. D., & Valdimarsdottir, H. B. (2012) · Journal of Genetic Counseling · doi:10.1007/s10897-012-9510-1 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Glassey, R., Hardcastle, S. J., O'Connor, M., Ives, A., kConFab Investigators, & Saunders, C. (2018) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.4558 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Roussi, P., Sherman, K. A., Miller, S. M., Hurley, K. E., Daly, M. B., Godwin, A. K., Buzaglo, J. S., & Wen, K. (2011) · Psychology and Health · doi:10.1080/08870446.2010.521938 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Fletcher, K. E., Clemow, L., Peterson, B. A., Lemon, S., Estabrook, B. B., & Zapka, J. G. (2006) · Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/0278-6133.25.3.413 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Aeilts, A. M., Carpenter, K. M., Hovick, S. R. A., Byrne, L., Shoben, A. B., & Senter, L. A. (2020) · Journal of Genetic Counseling · doi:10.1002/jgc4.1345 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
McFARLANE, A. C., McKenzie, D. P., Hooff, M. V., & Browne, D. (2008) · Journal of Psychosomatic Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.02.005 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Patel, D., Sharpe, L., Thewes, B., Rickard, J., Schnieden, V., & Lewis, C. R. (2009) · Cancer Nursing · doi:10.1097/ncc.0b013e3181ae4876 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Heiniger, L. E., Price, M. A., Charles, M. A., Butow, P. N., & kConFab Psychosocial Group on behalf of the kConFab Investigators (2015) · Journal of Genetic Counseling · doi:10.1007/s10897-015-9824-x · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Self-citationThe special case of complicated grief in women at high risk for breast cancer
Wellisch, D. K., & Cohen, M. M. (2010) · Palliative & Supportive Care · doi:10.1017/s1478951509990654 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Evaluation of Psychosocial Impact and Quality of Life in BRCA Mutation Family
Han, S., Kim, S., Kang, E., Ha, T.-H., Kim, J., Yang, E. J., Lim, J., Han, W., Noh, D., & Kim, S. (2010) · Journal of genetic medicine · doi:10.5734/jgm.2010.7.1.67 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Genetic Testing and Psychology
Brand, S. R., & Patenaude, A. F. (2016) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-802971-8.00025-0 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Genetic Testing and Psychology
Patenaude, A. F. (2010) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-374537-8.00038-9 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Ribi, K., Cole, B. F., Fleming, G. F., Walley, B. A., Francis, P. A., Abdi, E. A., Burstein, H. J., Cheng, K. C., Chia, S., Dakhil, S. R., et al. (2025) · Cancer · doi:10.1002/cncr.70094 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Knowledge and Anxiety Related to Hereditary Ovarian Cancer in Serous Ovarian Cancer Patients
Lee, S. H., Lee, H., Lim, M. C., & Kim, S. (2019) · Korean journal of women health nursing/Yeoseong geon'gang ganho hag'hoeji/Yeoseong geon-gang ganho hakoeji · doi:10.4069/kjwhn.2019.25.4.365 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Cordella, M., & Poiani, A. (2013) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-9605-2_3 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Hopwood, P. (2006) · Psycho-Oncologie · doi:10.1007/s10332-006-0117-3 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Breast cancer screening recommendations: dynamic extrapolation of limited data
Mooney, C. J., & Merajver, S. D. (2010) · Breast Cancer Research and Treatment · doi:10.1007/s10549-009-0707-4 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
RISK REDUCING BEHAVIORS IN A COMMUNITY SAMPLE OF WOMEN WITH A FAMILY HISTORY OF BREAST CANCER
Somers, T. J. (2007) · D-Scholarship@Pitt (University of Pittsburgh)
Understanding the genetically at risk: clinical, psychological and social approaches
Turney, L. (2009) · Genomics Society and Policy · doi:10.1186/1746-5354-5-2-53
PSYCHOSOCIAL PROFILE OF BRCA GENETIC MUTATION CARRIERS
Pereira, A., Meneses, R. F., & Guimarães, R. (2020) · Psicologia Saúde & Doenças · doi:10.15309/20psd210124
Angèle, A. K., Anthelme, A. K., Gracia, M. M. D. M., Gnangnon, F. H. R., Klikpo, E. T. E., Morel, S. Y., Ghislain, M. M. S., Ablawa, F. K. E., Delphin, M. K., & Marcel, Z. D. (2021) · American Journal of Internal Medicine · doi:10.11648/j.ajim.20210906.14
Souffrance psychosociale et cancer du sein au CNHU-HKM de Cotonou en 2020
Ezin-Houngbe, J., Klikpo, T. E. E., Anagonou, L., Aza-Gnandji, G. G., Gracia, M. M. D. M., Awohouedji, M., & Kouanou, A. A. (2022) · Psy Cause · doi:10.3917/psca.080.0005
Family Matters: Adjustment to genetic cancer susceptibility testing
van Oostrom, I. (2006) · EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
- Authors
- Butow, P., Meiser, B., Price, M., Bennett, B., Tucker, K., Davenport, T., Hickie, I., & The kathleen cuningham consortium for research into familial breast cancer psychosocial group
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Prince of Wales Hospital (AU)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Butow, Phyllis
- Venue
- Psycho-Oncology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2005
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 196-203
- ISSN
- 1057-9249 (ISSN-L)
- 1099-1611
- OpenAlex
- W2066729834
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- Locations
- Psycho-Oncology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UNSWorks (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › BRCA gene mutations in cancer
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Family Support in Illness
- Keywords
- breast cancer, family history of breast cancer, psychological morbidity, psychological distress, anxiety, depression, somatic distress, high-risk families, twin registry, women
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anxiety Disorders, Australia, Breast Neoplasms, Demography, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Morbidity, Population Surveillance, Prospective Studies, Psychophysiologic Disorders, Surveys and Questionnaires, Registries, Risk Factors, Twin Studies as Topic, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
