Avoiding Risk Information About Breast Cancer

Melnyk, Darya; Shepperd, James A.

doi:10.1007/s12160-012-9382-5

Cited by 63 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Consistent with predictions, community participants in a genome sequencing study who reported relatively greater information avoidance tendencies were less interested in learning genetic sequencing results for preventable diseases and even less so for unpreventable diseases (6). These findings emerged despite overall low levels of information avoidance and substantial interest in the sequencing results.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Information Avoidance Tendencies, Threat Management Resources, and Interest in Genetic Sequencing Feedback

et al. 2015

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Background Information avoidance is a defensive strategy that undermines receipt of potentially beneficial but threatening health information and may especially occur when threat management resources are unavailable. Purpose We examined whether individual differences in information avoidance predicted intentions to receive genetic sequencing results for preventable and unpreventable (i.e., more threatening) disease and, secondarily, whether threat management resources of self-affirmation or optimism mitigated any effects. Methods Participants (N=493) in an NIH study (ClinSeq®) piloting the use of genome sequencing reported intentions to receive (optional) sequencing results and completed individual difference measures of information avoidance, self-affirmation, and optimism. Results Information avoidance tendencies corresponded with lower intentions to learn results, particularly for unpreventable diseases. The association was weaker among individuals higher in self-affirmation or optimism, but only for results regarding preventable diseases. Conclusions Information avoidance tendencies may influence decisions to receive threatening health information; threat management resources hold promise for mitigating this association.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Information Avoidance Tendencies, Threat Management Resources, and Interest in Genetic Sequencing Feedback

et al. 2015

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“…We cannot comment on whether our findings reflect a pessimistic character, protective buffering (Melnyk and Shepperd 2012), or a realistic understanding of their ability to cope with this potentially stressful situation. Given that a mother's positive test result would have implications for her children's future cancer risk (Davies et al 2013;Roisman et al 2012), our findings could reflect not only the mothers' consideration of their own ability to cope but also their understanding of their child's ability to cope.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Women’s concerns about the emotional impact of awareness of heritable breast cancer risk and its implications for their children

O’Neill¹,

Mays²,

Patenaude

et al. 2014

J Community Genet

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Women tested for mutations in BRCA1/2 genes who have minor-aged children confront difficult decisions about if, when, and how to share information about hereditary cancer risk with their children. These choices are often seemingly influenced by how mothers anticipate the emotional burdens they and their children will experience in response to test results. Here, we investigate the association between maternal cognitions, pretest psychological well-being, and coping style with mothers' anticipated emotional reactions to learning that they are BRCA1/2 mutation carriers (N=205). In a linear regression model adjusted for maternal demographics, stronger tendencies to ruminate about information (B=.14, p=.03), greater psychological strain (B=.14, p<.001), and poorer appraisals of one's ability to cope with genetic test results conveying increased breast cancer risk information (B=−.25, p<.001) were significantly associated with anticipating more negative affect surrounding BRCA1/2 mutation identification in mothers. Our data contribute to the growing awareness of special concerns that mothers have about knowing their BRCA1/2 mutation status and highlight the need for more tailored patient education and counseling resources to improve outcomes among women at risk and their children.

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“…Beyond theory, several empirical studies demonstrate that having fewer resources to cope with unwanted health information corresponds with greater information avoidance. For example, one study found that women who reported fewer coping resources were more likely to avoid learning feedback about their personal breast cancer risk (15). A second series of studies replicated this effect for avoidance of general health information as well as one’s risk for specific diseases (16).…”

Section: Predicting Avoidance: Perceived Risk and Coping Resourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting Avoidance of Skin Damage Feedback Among College Students

2015

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Avoiding Risk Information About Breast Cancer

Abstract: Reading about controllable predictors of breast cancer reduces avoidance of breast cancer risk information.

Cited by 63 publications

References 23 publications

Information Avoidance Tendencies, Threat Management Resources, and Interest in Genetic Sequencing Feedback

Information Avoidance Tendencies, Threat Management Resources, and Interest in Genetic Sequencing Feedback

Women’s concerns about the emotional impact of awareness of heritable breast cancer risk and its implications for their children

Predicting Avoidance of Skin Damage Feedback Among College Students

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