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Factors Associated with Psychological Distress among Women of African Descent at High Risk for BRCA Mutations

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Journal of Genetic Counseling

Abstract

Little is known about psychological distress among women of African descent who are at high risk for a BRCA mutation. This is a group for whom breast cancer risk reduction is critical due to the group’s high rates of breast cancer mortality. Distress is important to consider as it may reduce the potential benefit of genetic counseling and negatively affect decision making related to risk reduction. The goals of the current study were to examine breast cancer-specific distress and depressive symptoms in women of African descent at who are at high risk for a BRCA mutation and to identify background factors associated with these outcomes. Participants were 148 high-risk African American and Caribbean women who were part of a larger study that offered participants BRCA counseling at no cost. Participants completed the Impact of Events Scale, which assessed breast cancer-specific distress, and the Center of Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, which assessed depressive symptoms. Results of analyses revealed that almost half of the sample achieved scores indicating high and clinically significant breast cancer-specific distress, while almost one-third had clinically significant depression scores. Results further showed that low income was significantly associated with cancer-specific distress, while having a cancer diagnosis was significantly associated with depressive symptoms. These results underscore the need for targeted psychological support throughout the genetic risk assessment process for this particular high-risk group.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, 1165 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA

    Yael R. Cukier

  2. Karmanos Cancer Institute, Department of Oncology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4100 John R – MM03CB, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA

    Hayley S. Thompson

  3. Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Oncological Sciences, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Katarina Sussner, Lina Jandorf & Heiddis B. Valdimarsdottir

  4. Fox Chase Cancer Center, Cancer Risk Assessment Program, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19111, USA

    Andrea Forman

  5. Fordham University, Center for Community-Engaged Research, 557 East Fordham Road, 4th Floor, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA

    Tiffany Edwards

  6. University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Hillman Cancer Center, Cooper Pavilion - Suite #140, 5115 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15232-1301, USA

    Dana H. Bovbjerg

  7. Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3300 Whitehaven Street, NW, Suite 4100, Washington, DC, 20007, USA

    Marc D. Schwartz

  8. Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland

    Heiddis B. Valdimarsdottir

Authors
  1. Yael R. Cukier
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  2. Hayley S. Thompson
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  7. Dana H. Bovbjerg
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  8. Marc D. Schwartz
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  9. Heiddis B. Valdimarsdottir
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Correspondence to Yael R. Cukier.

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Cukier, Y.R., Thompson, H.S., Sussner, K. et al. Factors Associated with Psychological Distress among Women of African Descent at High Risk for BRCA Mutations. J Genet Counsel 22, 101–107 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-012-9510-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-012-9510-1

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