Depressive symptoms among women with an abnormal mammogram

An abnormal mammography finding constitutes a stressful event that may increase vulnerability by developing or intensifying pre-existing psychological morbidity. We evaluated depressive symptoms using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview among women of four ethnic groups who had an abnormal mammography result controlling for the effect of demographic, psychosocial and medical factors on recent onset of depressive symptoms. Telephone surveys were conducted among women aged 40-80 years recruited from four clinical sites in the San Francisco Bay Area after receiving a screening mammography result that was classified as abnormal but probably benign, suspicious or highly suspicious, or indeterminate using standard criteria. Among the 910 women who completed the interview, mean age was 56 (S.D.=10), 42% were White, 19% Latina, 25% African American, and 14% Asian. Prevalence of lifetime depressive symptoms was 44%, and 11% of women had symptoms in the previous month. Multivariate logistic regression models showed that Asian ethnicity, annual income >$10 000 and weekly attendance at religious services were significantly associated with decreased depressive symptoms. Having an indeterminate result on mammography and being on disability were significantly associated with more depressive symptoms. Reporting a first episode of depression more than a year before the interview was associated with significant increase in depressive symptoms in the month prior to the interview regardless of mammography result. Women with an indeterminate interpretation on mammography were at greater risk of depressive episode in the month prior to the interview compared to women with probably benign results (odds ratio=2.41; 95% CI=1.09-5.31) or with a suspicious finding. Clinicians need to consider depression as a possible consequence after an abnormal mammography result.