Anticipatory anxiety in women recalled for further mammogram breast cancer screening.

This investigation examined anxiety, depressive mood, depression and somatic symptoms associated with a second stage screening for breast cancer. Interviews were conducted with 1195 women 45-65 years old in two temporal conditions (pre- and post-mammogram). Participants included women attending for regular breast cancer screening who were recalled for further mammogram and women who were not recalled. Variables were assessed using a 10-point Likert emotion scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory of Spielberger, Gorsuch and Lushene, the Somatic Symptoms Scale of Sandin and Chorot, and the Depression Questionnaire of Sandin and Valiente. Results indicated that women attending the second stage screening exhibited significantly higher levels of anticipatory anxiety and depressive mood than women attending For routine screening before the mammogram. This emotional impact was not relevant 2 days following the mammogram. Data support the hypothesis that women recalled for further mammograms experience moderate to high levels of anxiety and depressive mood before the mammogram, although they do not sustain the prediction that this effect persist beyond receipt of the negative result.