Psychological effects of participation in a prevention programme for individuals with increased risk for malignant...

The Swedish Melanoma Study Group runs a programme aimed at prevention and early detection of premalignant and malignant melanoma in families with two or more members having malignant melanoma. Psychological consequences of participation in this programme were studied. A questionnaire containing items concerning cognitive and emotional responses to the programme was completed by 115 consecutive individuals at their first visit to the clinic. The same questionnaire was administered by mail 7 months later. The levels of psychological and psychosomatic problems were relatively low at both points of assessment. No negative psychological effects were found, neither in the group with dysplastic naevus syndrome (DNS) with increased risk for malignant melanoma, nor in the group without dysplastic naevi. Only one variable, "emotional responses to the visit" differentiated between the groups, with higher scores in the group without DNS. A majority of the individuals expressed positive attitudes to the clinic.