Examining Psychological Outcomes Associated with Genetic Testing for Primary Arrhythmic Disorders in Adult Patients
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Authors
Colaiacovo, Samantha
Kelter, Erin
Issue Date
2016-05-01
Type
thesis_open
Language
Keywords
cardiac arrhythmias , genetic testing , psychological impact , Other Genetics and Genomics
Alternative Title
Human Genetics Theses
Abstract
The psychological impact of genetic testing for an inherited arrhythmia and its influence on future well-being is highly variable and has not been well studied. Thirty-seven participants completed a survey which included questions from the Multidimensional Impact of Cancer Risk Assessment (MICRA) questionnaire, Impact of Events Scale (IES) and Satisfaction with Decision Scale (SWDS) to provide more information on their genetic testing experience and to allow the authors to search for trends that may improve the genetic counseling experience moving forward. Trends were seen upon the comparison of those who had positive versus negative genetic testing results. Those with positive test results seemed to have higher stress scores and experienced a greater psychological impact. While more investigation is needed, this study serves as a good starting point to understanding the experience of genetic testing for these individuals.