Date of Award

5-2016

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Degree Name

MS Human Genetics

Department

Human Genetics Graduate Program

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.

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