screening

Objective: Attendance at colposcopy following an abnormal smear is potentially a highly distressing event. This study evaluates the role of cognitive appraisal components (Lazarus, 1991; Smith et. al., 1993) in explaining emotional reactions to this event. We also compare the psychological sequelae of immediate treatment at first colposcopy (See and Treat, ST) versus colposcopy with treatment deferred to a later date (Diagnose and Defer, DD). Methods: 1085 women referred to colposcopy completed a questionnaire assessing appraisal and emotion following their attendance. Clinical data were abstracted from medical records and social deprivation scores were estimated from postal code information based on normative data. Results: Diagnosis and cognitive appraisals were each significantly associated with emotion, together accounting for between 3 and 15% of variance in different emotions. Specific patterns of appraisal explained specific emotions in line with theoretical predictions. Women w..