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A 2-year follow-up study of anxiety and depression in women referred for colposcopy after an abnormal cervical smear.

Hellsten, Charlotte LU ; Sjöström, Karin LU and Lindqvist, Pelle LU (2008) In BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology 115(2). p.212-218
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine if there were any long-lasting elevated anxiety levels in women attending colposcopy after an abnormal cervical smear. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Malmö University Hospital, Sweden. POPULATION: One hundred consecutive women were invited to participate when referred for colposcopy. METHODS: Women in the study group completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale-self-rate (MADRS-S) and had a psychosocial interview prior to colposcopy at their two follow-up visits. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: State anxiety levels and depression scores at first visit, 6 months and 2 years. RESULTS: At follow up, levels of... (More)
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine if there were any long-lasting elevated anxiety levels in women attending colposcopy after an abnormal cervical smear. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Malmö University Hospital, Sweden. POPULATION: One hundred consecutive women were invited to participate when referred for colposcopy. METHODS: Women in the study group completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale-self-rate (MADRS-S) and had a psychosocial interview prior to colposcopy at their two follow-up visits. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: State anxiety levels and depression scores at first visit, 6 months and 2 years. RESULTS: At follow up, levels of state anxiety and the depression scores of the women studied had decreased and were comparable to those of Swedish normative data. Two variables from the MADRS-S, 'ability to focus on different activities' and 'emotional involvement with others and in activities' were the most prominent for women with moderate to severe depression. At the 2-year visit, 30% of the women still had a fear of cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Referral for colposcopy after an abnormal cervical smear does not seem to result in long-lasting anxiety and depression. However, a subgroup of women, with the initially highest depression scores, still had at 2-year state anxiety levels and depression scores significantly higher than normal. Almost one-third of the women still had a fear of cancer in spite of lower 2-year state anxiety levels. (Less)
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Colposcopy: psychology, Anxiety Disorders: etiology, Depressive Disorder: etiology, Uterine Cervical Neoplasms: prevention & control, Vaginal Smears: psychology, Uterine Cervical Neoplasms: psychology
in
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
volume
115
issue
2
pages
212 - 218
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:18081601
  • wos:000252316100014
  • scopus:36849060623
  • pmid:18081601
ISSN
1471-0528
DOI
10.1111/j.1471-0528.2007.01609.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Pediatrics/Urology/Gynecology/Endocrinology (013240400), Obstetric, Gynaecological and Prenatal Ultrasound Research Unit (013242720)
id
b2575e7b-bf8f-4aef-a737-7569c0c2347a (old id 1035262)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18081601?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:19:14
date last changed
2022-05-16 23:54:13
@article{b2575e7b-bf8f-4aef-a737-7569c0c2347a,
  abstract     = {{OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine if there were any long-lasting elevated anxiety levels in women attending colposcopy after an abnormal cervical smear. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Malmö University Hospital, Sweden. POPULATION: One hundred consecutive women were invited to participate when referred for colposcopy. METHODS: Women in the study group completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale-self-rate (MADRS-S) and had a psychosocial interview prior to colposcopy at their two follow-up visits. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: State anxiety levels and depression scores at first visit, 6 months and 2 years. RESULTS: At follow up, levels of state anxiety and the depression scores of the women studied had decreased and were comparable to those of Swedish normative data. Two variables from the MADRS-S, 'ability to focus on different activities' and 'emotional involvement with others and in activities' were the most prominent for women with moderate to severe depression. At the 2-year visit, 30% of the women still had a fear of cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Referral for colposcopy after an abnormal cervical smear does not seem to result in long-lasting anxiety and depression. However, a subgroup of women, with the initially highest depression scores, still had at 2-year state anxiety levels and depression scores significantly higher than normal. Almost one-third of the women still had a fear of cancer in spite of lower 2-year state anxiety levels.}},
  author       = {{Hellsten, Charlotte and Sjöström, Karin and Lindqvist, Pelle}},
  issn         = {{1471-0528}},
  keywords     = {{Colposcopy: psychology; Anxiety Disorders: etiology; Depressive Disorder: etiology; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms: prevention & control; Vaginal Smears: psychology; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms: psychology}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{212--218}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology}},
  title        = {{A 2-year follow-up study of anxiety and depression in women referred for colposcopy after an abnormal cervical smear.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2007.01609.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1471-0528.2007.01609.x}},
  volume       = {{115}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}