Psychology Commons^™

The Effect Of Social Problem-Solving, Health Anxiety, And Psychological Distress On Breast Cancer Genetic Testing Decisions In A Sample Of Healthy Women, Alexandria Muench

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women in the United States, with hereditary breast cancers accounting for approximately 10% of the diagnoses. Nevertheless, women can decrease their risk by obtaining genetic testing and are often referred for the test if one or more of their relatives has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has the BRCA/BRCA2 cancer mutation. The purpose of the current study was to examine predictors of healthy women’s (ages 18 to 35) hypothetical decisions about genetic testing and prophylactic treatments for the BRCA1/BRCA2 genetic mutations by measuring social problem solving (SPS) variables, health anxiety, …