Counselling interventions to address the psychological consequences of screening mammography: a randomised trial.

Abstract

We examined the effectiveness of offering counselling to women undergoing screening mammography who are recalled for further investigations that do not lead to a diagnosis of cancer. Women were randomised to being offered either face-to-face (n = 66) or telephone counselling (n = 68) or usual care (n = 71) at the recall clinic after being told that their screen-detected abnormality was not cancer. The PCQ (a reliable and valid measure of the psychological consequences of screening mammography) measured the emotional, social and physical functioning of women at the recall clinic (Time 1) and after the counselling intervention (Time 2). Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) showed no main effects fo..