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Review
. 2022 Sep 23;101(38):e30479.
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000030479.

The half-painted picture: Reviewing the mental health impacts of cancer screening

Lauren P Wadsworth  1 , Inga Wessman  1 , Andri Steinþór Björnsson  1 , Gudbjorg Jonsdottir  2 , Sigurður Yngvi Kristinsson  1   3
Affiliations
Review

The half-painted picture: Reviewing the mental health impacts of cancer screening

Lauren P Wadsworth et al. Medicine (Baltimore). .

Abstract

Cancer screening is recommended for select cancers worldwide. Cancer screening has become increasingly effective and accessible and often increases overall survival. However, the mental health effects of cancer screening, such as its impact on depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, are largely unknown. Conflicting available literature indicates the negative, neutral, and positive mental health effects of cancer screening across cancer types. There are a limited number of randomized controlled trials measuring the mental health effects of cancer screening. Overall, the more negative and life-threatening the screening results, the greater the mental health effects. Screening for cancer without a known precursor, for example, due to family history, can have positive impacts such as decreased worry and increased quality of life. However, receiving a cancer diagnosis often has negative mental effects that increase with the life-threatening potential of malignancy. In this study, we review the existing literature and provide recommendations for future research to determine if and when cancer screening is the best practice.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Wilson and Junger conditions for justifiable screening.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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