Decreasing women's anxieties after abnormal mammograms: a controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Psychology
• Women's Health

Background:

• Anxiety is common after abnormal mammograms, with limited research on interventions.
• This study evaluated immediate mammogram readings and coping skills education.
• The interventions aimed to improve psychological status in women with normal or abnormal mammograms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of immediate mammogram readings and an educational intervention on women's anxiety.
• To compare psychological outcomes between women with normal and abnormal mammograms.
• To determine the effectiveness of interventions in reducing anxiety associated with false-positive mammograms.

Main Methods:

• A controlled trial involving 8543 women aged 39+ undergoing mammography screening.
• Participants received no intervention, immediate reading, educational intervention, or both.
• Psychological status was assessed using the Impact of Events Scale (IES) and Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSC-A, HSC-D) at 3 weeks and 3 months post-mammogram.

Main Results:

• Women with abnormal mammograms reported higher anxiety (IES, HSC-A) than those with normal mammograms.
• Immediate mammogram reading was associated with reduced anxiety at 3 weeks for false-positive cases (P=.026).
• The educational intervention showed no significant difference in psychological outcomes; anxiety persisted at 3 months for false-positive cases.

Conclusions:

• Immediate reading of screening mammograms effectively reduced anxiety in women with false-positive results.
• Educational interventions focusing on coping skills did not significantly decrease anxiety.
• Anxiety levels remained higher in women with false-positive mammograms compared to normal results even at 3 months.