Journal of Psychiatry

Psychological impact of a predictive genetic testing after neonatal screening

International Conference and Expo on Mental health and Care

July 27, 2022 | Webinar

Amanda Scartezini Gozdziejewski

Pelee Pequeno Priincipe Research Institute, Brazil

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Psychiatry

Abstract:

With the advancement of technology allied to the health sciences, predictive genetic testing (PGT) for cancer is increasingly available to the population. However, there is a great deal of debate regarding the psychological impact of this practice, especially for anxiety and depression levels. One of these DNA tests is performed frequently in the state of Paraná (Southern Brazil) and detects the germline TP53 p.R337H. Children and adults carrying this mutation are usually asymptomatic, but at increased risk of cancer. Gozdziejewski et al. (2022) used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to assess anxiety and depression levels, at three different times, on mothers of newborns carrying the TP53 p.R337H variant. The results showed that anxiety lasts less than four months and three sociodemographic variables associated with depression and anxiety levels: marital status, number of children, and education level. The authors highlight the importance of considering these variables with high susceptibility in PGT. Importance of Research: Despite the importance of this topic, there is a lack of previous research studies regarding the emotional impact to the mother for risk of cancer. Thus, the study produced Gozdziejewski et al. (2022) was the first longitudinal study applied to mothers of positive cancer predisposition for a germline TP53 (tumor suppressor) variant in their newborns using HADS. It is extremely important to monitor and assess the levels of anxiety and depression of people undergoing PGT over time to verify how these individuals deal with this positive result for an increased risk of cancer, in order to minimize the emotional impact. Keywords: Psychological impact; predictive genetic testing; anxiety; depression

Biography :

Graduated in Psychology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (2012), Specialization in Therapeutic Psychodrama from the Paraná Association of Psychodrama (2015) and title of Psychodramatist Level I by the Brazilian Federation of Psychodrama (2015). Master (2017) and Doctoral Student in Biotechnology Applied to Child and Adolescent Health at Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe (FPP). She is currently a professor at Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe and works with Clinical Psychology.