“Naked Genes” as Health Psychological Innovation: A Challenge for Research and Intervention

The identification of hereditary breast/ovarian cancer predisposing genes enabled the introduction of genetic testing in clinical practice. This created new psychological scenarios related to the many choices these women face. To explore the psychological effects of BRCA1/2 test on Italian healthy women, the following themes were investigated: childbearing intentions, feelings about the future and future projects, family support, feelings towards children and partners, risk perception, and attitudes towards risk management strategies. The participants were 21 young women (average age 35 years) who had undergone BRCA1/2 testing, recruited from a hospital in a medium city in northwestern Italy. A qualitative approach was chosen to explore these complex and sensitive issues. In depth interviews were developed after a review of the literature. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and were analysed using NVivo9. The analysis of the interviews highlighted overall good adjustment to the test results. However, some women underlined a need for long-term psychological support. The main issues were: awareness of psychological support, managing uncertainty, impact on life planning, childbearing intentions, and choice of prophylactic surgery interventions. These results may enable better understanding of the experiences of Italian women who underwent BRCA1/2 testing in order to develop effective interventions in the area of support and care.