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Fear, Anxiety, Worry, and Breast Cancer Screening Behavior: A Critical Review

¹ Psychology Department and ² Intercultural Institute on Human Development and Aging, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY and ³ Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY

Requests for reprints: Nathan S. Consedine, Psychology Department, Long Island University, 191 Willougby Street, Suite 1A, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Phone: (718) 246-6478; Fax: (718) 246-6471. E-mail: nconsedi{at}liu.edu

Anxiety, fear, and worry are variously described as facilitators and barriers of breast cancer screening. However, several contradictions are evident in this research. A review article described the literature regarding the relations among fear, anxiety, and worry, along with emotion regulatory styles, and breast cancer screening behaviors before critiquing it in an attempt to uncover preliminary explanations for these discrepancies. Three main conclusions are drawn. First, it is suggested that researchers need to clearly define the components of cancer and the screening process that women are afraid of as each may bear a different relation to screening behavior. Second, greater care needs to be taken to employ psychometrically valid and reliable measures of fear and anxiety. Third, studies need to more systematically test findings across the minority and ethnic groups at greatest risk. A framework is presented and suggestions regarding the continued development of this promising area of research are made.

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