Psychosocial burden of women with abnormal Pap smears

Abstract

This cross-sectional study aimed to describe the psychosocial burden of women with abnormal Pap-smear results during the 3 months after recruitment into the study. Seventy-five women negative for intraepithelial lesions and 76 women with epithelial cell abnormalities were recruited. The two study groups did not differ in baseline demographic characteristics or gynecological history. However, the mean Health Impact Profile (HIP) scores were higher for the women negative for intraepithelial lesions [68.18 +/- 14.22 and 57.74 +/- 16.29, respectively (p < 0.001)], who were mostly concerned about getting cancer, pain during the visit to the gynecologist, and that having sex with their partner may give them an infection (p < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in mean scores for Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), Work Productivity and Activity Impairement Questionnaire (WPAI), Health Utilities Index (HUI), Health State Score (HSS), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HADS), between the two study groups. However, there was a significant difference in mean scores for HSS within the younger age group (18-28 years) [(75.00 +/- 13.64, n = 19 and 59.72 +/- 19.13, n = 18, respectively)] (p = 0.008). The provision of information, counseling, and advice, support services and clinician consultation times, need strengthening, to help alleviate women's concerns about infection, and their worries, anxiety or depression, following an abnormal Pap result.